AbstractPsilocybe “magic mushrooms” are chemically well understood for their psychotropic tryptamines. However, the diversity of their other specialized metabolites, in particular terpenoids, has largely remained an open question. Yet, knowledge on the natural product background is critical to understand if other compounds modulate the psychotropic pharmacological effects. CubA, the single clade II sesquiterpene synthase of P. cubensis, was heterologously produced in Escherichia coli and characterized in vitro, complemented by in vivo product formation assays in Aspergillus niger as a heterologous host. Extensive GC‐MS analyses proved a function as multi‐product synthase and, depending on the reaction conditions, cubebol, β‐copaene, δ‐cadinene, and germacrene D were detected as the major products of CubA. In addition, mature P. cubensis carpophores were analysed chromatographically which led to the detection of β‐copaene and δ‐cadinene. Enzymes closely related to CubA are encoded in the genomes of various Psilocybe species. Therefore, our results provide insight into the metabolic capacity of the entire genus.
摘要丝囊菌 "魔幻蘑菇 "中的色胺具有良好的化学性质。然而,它们的其他特殊代谢产物,特别是萜类化合物的多样性在很大程度上仍是一个未决问题。然而,有关天然产品背景的知识对于了解其他化合物是否会调节精神药理作用至关重要。我们在大肠杆菌中异源生产了 CubA,并对其进行了体外表征,还以黑曲霉作为异源宿主进行了体内产物形成试验。广泛的气相色谱-质谱(GC-MS)分析证明了 CubA 具有多产物合成酶的功能,根据反应条件的不同,CubA 的主要产物包括立方醇、β-罂粟烯、δ-石竹烯和胚芽烯 D。此外,还对成熟的 P. cubensis 荠菜进行了色谱分析,从而检测到了β-copaene 和 δ-cadinene。与 CubA 关系密切的酶被编码在各种红铃草属植物的基因组中。因此,我们的研究结果有助于深入了解整个银莲花属的代谢能力。