Complete biosynthesis of psychedelic tryptamines from three kingdoms in plants

-dimethyltryptamine (DMT) biosynthetic pathway in hallucinogenic plant species traditionally used in shamanic rituals for spiritual healing. Leveraging the similarities in their chemical structures, we reconstructed in one plant assay the full biosynthetic pathways of five renowned natural psychedelics; psilocin and psilocybin found in mushrooms, DMT from plants, and bufotenin and 5-methoxy-DMT secreted by the Sonoran Desert toad. We further engineered halogenated analogs of these molecules, which do not naturally occur in plants and exhibit prospective therapeutic potential for psychiatric conditions. Blending catalytic functions across the tree of life, coupled with metabolic engineering guided by rational protein design of mutant enzymes, enabled substantially more efficient in planta production of the indolethylamine components. This work establishes a versatile platform for concurrent biosynthesis and diversification of psychoactive indolethylamines, paving the way for their production in plants.

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Publication Details

Journal
Science Advances
Published
2026-04-01
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.aeb3034
Primary Topic
Psychedelics and Drug Studies
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
0.00

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article

Complete biosynthesis of psychedelic tryptamines from three kingdoms in plants

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Psychedelics and Drug Studies
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Complete biosynthesis of psychedelic tryptamines from three kingdoms in plants

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article en

Abstract

-dimethyltryptamine (DMT) biosynthetic pathway in hallucinogenic plant species traditionally used in shamanic rituals for spiritual healing. Leveraging the similarities in their chemical structures, we reconstructed in one plant assay the full biosynthetic pathways of five renowned natural psychedelics; psilocin and psilocybin found in mushrooms, DMT from plants, and bufotenin and 5-methoxy-DMT secreted by the Sonoran Desert toad. We further engineered halogenated analogs of these molecules, which do not naturally occur in plants and exhibit prospective therapeutic potential for psychiatric conditions. Blending catalytic functions across the tree of life, coupled with metabolic engineering guided by rational protein design of mutant enzymes, enabled substantially more efficient in planta production of the indolethylamine components. This work establishes a versatile platform for concurrent biosynthesis and diversification of psychoactive indolethylamines, paving the way for their production in plants.

Science AdvancesVol. 12(14)
Technion – Israel Institute of Technology (IL), Agricultural Research Organization (IL), Weizmann Institute of Science (IL)
Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust
Openalex Percentile: Top 32%
Psychedelics and Drug Studies
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