type	Journal Article
authors	Fricke J, Blei F, Hoffmeister D
title	Enzymatic Synthesis of Psilocybin
journal	Angew Chem Int Ed Engl
Activity	4.1.1.105
sel	selected
ui	28763571
year	(2017)
volume	56
number	40
pages	12352-12355
keywords	biosynthesis; enzymes; kinases; natural products; psilocybin
abstract	Psilocybin is the psychotropic tryptamine-derived natural product of Psilocybe carpophores, the so-called "magic mushrooms". Although its structure has been known for 60 years, the enzymatic basis of its biosynthesis has remained obscure. We characterized four psilocybin biosynthesis enzymes, namely i) PsiD, which represents a new class of fungal l-tryptophan decarboxylases, ii) PsiK, which catalyzes the phosphotransfer step, iii) the methyltransferase PsiM, catalyzing iterative N-methyl transfer as the terminal biosynthetic step, and iv) PsiH, a monooxygenase. In a combined PsiD/PsiK/PsiM reaction, psilocybin was synthesized enzymatically in a step-economic route from 4-hydroxy-l-tryptophan. Given the renewed pharmaceutical interest in psilocybin, our results may lay the foundation for its biotechnological production.
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last changed	2018/05/17 12:10