{"id":691667,"date":"2025-09-24T07:10:30","date_gmt":"2025-09-24T04:10:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/different-types-of-magic-mushrooms-use-unique-biochemical-paths-to-produce-the-same-active-compound\/"},"modified":"2025-09-24T07:10:30","modified_gmt":"2025-09-24T04:10:30","slug":"different-types-of-magic-mushrooms-use-unique-biochemical-paths-to-produce-the-same-active-compound","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/different-types-of-magic-mushrooms-use-unique-biochemical-paths-to-produce-the-same-active-compound\/","title":{"rendered":"Different types of magic mushrooms use unique biochemical paths to produce the same active compound"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_85 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a374c67f2642\" class=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-label\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/label><input type=\"checkbox\"  id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a374c67f2642\" checked aria-label=\"Toggle\" \/><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/different-types-of-magic-mushrooms-use-unique-biochemical-paths-to-produce-the-same-active-compound\/#Two_paths_one_molecule\" >Two paths, one molecule<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/different-types-of-magic-mushrooms-use-unique-biochemical-paths-to-produce-the-same-active-compound\/#Searching_for_clues_in_fungal_genomes\" >Searching for clues in fungal genomes<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/different-types-of-magic-mushrooms-use-unique-biochemical-paths-to-produce-the-same-active-compound\/#More_tools_for_biotechnology\" >More tools for biotechnology<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"article-gallery lightGallery\">\n<div data-thumb=\"https:\/\/scx1.b-cdn.net\/csz\/news\/tmb\/2025\/magic-mushrooms-invent-1.jpg\" data-src=\"https:\/\/scx2.b-cdn.net\/gfx\/news\/hires\/2025\/magic-mushrooms-invent-1.jpg\" data-sub-html=\"Psilocybe cubensis grows worldwide in tropical and subtropical regions, including Central and South America, Southeast Asia, and Oceania. The mushroom prefers moist, fertilizer-rich soils and contains the psychoactive substance psilocybin, which is currently being researched as an active compound for the treatment of therapy-resistant depression. Credit: Felix Blei, Leibniz-HKI\">\n<figure class=\"article-img\">\n            <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/scx1.b-cdn.net\/csz\/news\/800a\/2025\/magic-mushrooms-invent-1.jpg\" alt=\"Magic mushrooms invent active compound twice\" title=\"Psilocybe cubensis grows worldwide in tropical and subtropical regions, including Central and South America, Southeast Asia, and Oceania. The mushroom prefers moist, fertilizer-rich soils and contains the psychoactive substance psilocybin, which is currently being researched as an active compound for the treatment of therapy-resistant depression. Credit: Felix Blei, Leibniz-HKI\" width=\"800\" height=\"530\"\/><figcaption class=\"text-darken text-low-up text-truncate-js text-truncate mt-3\">\n                Psilocybe cubensis grows worldwide in tropical and subtropical regions, including Central and South America, Southeast Asia, and Oceania. The mushroom prefers moist, fertilizer-rich soils and contains the psychoactive substance psilocybin, which is currently being researched as an active compound for the treatment of therapy-resistant depression. Credit: Felix Blei, Leibniz-HKI<br \/>\n            <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>A German-Austrian team led by Friedrich Schiller University Jena and Leibniz-HKI has been able to biochemically demonstrate for the first time that different types of mushrooms produce the same mind-altering active substance, psilocybin, in different ways.<\/p>\n<p>Both Psilocybe mushrooms and fiber cap mushrooms of the genus Inocybe produce this substance, but use completely different enzymes and reaction sequences for this process. The results are published in <i>Angewandte Chemie International Edition<\/i>.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;This concerns the biosynthesis of a molecule that has a very long history with humans,&#8221; explains Prof. Dirk Hoffmeister, head of the research group Pharmaceutical Microbiology at Friedrich Schiller University Jena and the Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology (Leibniz-HKI).<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;We are referring to psilocybin, a substance found in so-called &#8216;magic mushrooms,&#8217; which our body converts into psilocin\u2014a compound that can profoundly alter consciousness. However, psilocybin not only triggers psychedelic experiences, but is also considered a promising active compound in the treatment of therapy-resistant depression,&#8221; says Hoffmeister.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Two_paths_one_molecule\"><\/span>Two paths, one molecule<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>The study, which was conducted within the Cluster of Excellence &#8220;Balance of the Microverse,&#8221; shows for the first time that fungi have developed the ability to produce psilocybin at least twice independently of each other. While Psilocybe species use a known enzyme toolkit for this purpose, fiber cap mushrooms employ a completely different biochemical arsenal\u2014and yet arrive at the same molecule.<\/p>\n<p>This finding is considered an example of convergent evolution: Different species have independently developed a similar trait, but the magic mushrooms have gone their own way in doing so.<\/p>\n<div class=\"article-gallery lightGallery\">\n<div data-thumb=\"https:\/\/scx1.b-cdn.net\/csz\/news\/tmb\/2025\/magic-mushrooms-invent.jpg\" data-src=\"https:\/\/scx2.b-cdn.net\/gfx\/news\/2025\/magic-mushrooms-invent.jpg\" data-sub-html=\"Two paths lead to the same molecule: Independently of each other, different genera of &quot;magic mushrooms&quot; have developed two different enzyme pathways that produce the same psychoactive substance, psilocybin\u2014a rare example of convergent evolution in natural product biosynthesis. Credit: Tim Sch\u00e4fer, Leibniz-HKI\">\n<figure class=\"article-img text-center\">\n            <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/scx1.b-cdn.net\/csz\/news\/800a\/2025\/magic-mushrooms-invent.jpg\" alt=\"Magic mushrooms invent active compound twice\" title=\"Two paths lead to the same molecule: Independently of each other, different genera of &quot;magic mushrooms&quot; have developed two different enzyme pathways that produce the same psychoactive substance, psilocybin\u2014a rare example of convergent evolution in natural product biosynthesis. Credit: Tim Sch\u00e4fer, Leibniz-HKI\"\/><figcaption class=\"text-left text-darken text-truncate text-low-up mt-3\">\n                Two paths lead to the same molecule: Independently of each other, different genera of &#8220;magic mushrooms&#8221; have developed two different enzyme pathways that produce the same psychoactive substance, psilocybin\u2014a rare example of convergent evolution in natural product biosynthesis. Credit: Tim Sch\u00e4fer, Leibniz-HKI<br \/>\n            <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Searching_for_clues_in_fungal_genomes\"><\/span>Searching for clues in fungal genomes<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Tim Sch\u00e4fer, lead author of the study and doctoral researcher in Hoffmeister&#8217;s team, explains, &#8220;It was like looking at two different workshops, but both ultimately delivering the same product. In the fiber caps, we found a unique set of enzymes that have nothing to do with those found in Psilocybe mushrooms. Nevertheless, they all catalyze the steps necessary to form psilocybin.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>The researchers analyzed the enzymes in the laboratory. Protein models created by Innsbruck chemist Bernhard Rupp confirmed that the sequence of reactions differs significantly from that known in Psilocybe.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Here, nature has actually invented the same active compound twice,&#8221; says Sch\u00e4fer.<\/p>\n<p>However, why two such different groups of fungi produce the same active compound remains unclear. &#8220;The real answer is that we don&#8217;t know,&#8221; emphasizes Hoffmeister. &#8220;Nature does nothing without reason. So there must be an advantage to both fiber cap mushrooms in the forest and Psilocybe species on manure or wood mulch producing this molecule\u2014we just don&#8217;t know what it is yet.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;One possible reason could be that psilocybin is intended to deter predators. Even the smallest injuries cause Psilocybe mushrooms to turn blue through a chemical chain reaction, revealing the breakdown products of psilocybin. Perhaps the molecule is a type of chemical defense mechanism,&#8221; says Hoffmeister.<\/p>\n<div class=\"ads w-100 my-4 article-main__more bg-light p-3 border\" aria-hidden=\"true\">\n<p class=\"mb-3\">\n        Discover the latest in <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/sciencee\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"5\" title=\"Science\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">science<\/a>, tech, and space with over <strong>100,000 subscribers<\/strong> who rely on Phys.org for daily insights.<br \/>\n        Sign up for our <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/sciencex.com\/help\/newsletter\/\" target=\"_blank\">free newsletter<\/a> and get updates on breakthroughs,<br \/>\n        innovations, and research that matter\u2014<strong>daily or weekly<\/strong>.\n    <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"More_tools_for_biotechnology\"><\/span>More tools for biotechnology<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Although it is still unclear why different fungi ultimately produce the same molecule, the discovery nevertheless has practical implications.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Now that we know about additional enzymes, we have more tools in our toolbox for the biotechnological production of psilocybin,&#8221; explains Hoffmeister.<\/p>\n<p>Sch\u00e4fer is also looking ahead, stating, &#8220;We hope that our results will contribute to the future production of psilocybin for pharmaceuticals in bioreactors without the need for complex chemical syntheses.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>At the Leibniz-HKI in Jena, Hoffmeister&#8217;s team is working closely with the Bio Pilot Plant, which is developing processes for producing natural products such as psilocybin on an industry-like scale.<\/p>\n<p>At the same time, the study provides exciting insights into the diversity of chemical strategies used by fungi and their interactions with their environment.<\/p>\n<div class=\"article-main__more p-4\">\n<p><strong>More information:<\/strong><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tDissimilar Reactions and Enzymes for Psilocybin Biosynthesis in Inocybe and Psilocybe Mushrooms, <i>Angewandte Chemie International Edition<\/i> (2025). <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" data-doi=\"1\" href=\"https:\/\/dx.doi.org\/10.1002\/anie.202512017\" target=\"_blank\">DOI: 10.1002\/anie.202512017<\/a><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"d-inline-block text-medium mt-4\">\n<p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tProvided by<br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tLeibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology<br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"icon_open\" href=\"https:\/\/www.leibniz-hki.de\/en\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow\"><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<svg>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<use href=\"https:\/\/phys.b-cdn.net\/tmpl\/v6\/img\/svg\/sprite.svg#icon_open\" x=\"0\" y=\"0\"\/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/svg><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<!-- print only --><\/p>\n<div class=\"d-none d-print-block\">\n<p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<strong>Citation<\/strong>:<br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tDifferent types of magic mushrooms use unique biochemical paths to produce the same active compound (2025, September 24)<br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tretrieved 24 September 2025<br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tfrom https:\/\/phys.org\/<a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/news\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"2\" title=\"News\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">news<\/a>\/2025-09-magic-mushrooms-unique-biochemical-paths.html\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t <\/p>\n<p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t This document is subject to copyright. Apart from any fair dealing for the purpose of private study or research, no<br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t part may be reproduced without the written permission. The content is provided for information purposes only.\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><script id=\"facebook-jssdk\" async=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/connect.facebook.net\/en_US\/sdk.js\"><\/script><\/p>\n<blockquote><p><strong><span style=\"color: #ff6600;\">If you liked the article, do not forget to share it with your friends. Follow us on\u00a0<span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><a style=\"color: #ff0000;\" href=\"https:\/\/news.google.com\/publications\/CAAqBwgKMN63nwsw68G3Aw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">Google News<\/a><\/span>\u00a0too, click on the star and choose us from your favorites.<\/span><\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>If you want to read more Like this articles, you can visit our <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/sciencee\/\" target=\"_blank\" >Science category.<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"color: black;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/phys.org\/news\/2025-09-magic-mushrooms-unique-biochemical-paths.html\" target=\"_blank\" >Source<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Psilocybe cubensis grows worldwide in tropical and subtropical regions, including Central and South America, Southeast Asia, and Oceania. The mushroom prefers moist, fertilizer-rich soils and contains the psychoactive substance psilocybin, which is currently being researched as an active compound for the treatment of therapy-resistant depression. Credit: Felix Blei, Leibniz-HKI A German-Austrian team led by Friedrich&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":691668,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/scx2.b-cdn.net\/gfx\/news\/hires\/2025\/magic-mushrooms-invent-1.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[16],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-691667","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-sciencee"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/691667","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=691667"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/691667\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/691668"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=691667"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=691667"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=691667"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}