If a particular evolutionary strategy proves advantageous for different species, nature inevitably finds a way to implement it. Scientists have discovered that fungi are capable of producing the same psychoactive compound through two independent pathways.

Convergent Evolution: When Nature Repeats Itself

Throughout evolution, different organisms can independently develop similar traits, structures, or adaptations. For example, when threatened, both armadillos and woodlice curl up into a ball. Sharks are fish, while dolphins are mammals, yet their bodies have remarkably similar shapes. There’s even a specific term—carcinization—for the process by which various crustaceans evolve into crab-like forms.

These phenomena are known as convergent evolution. It manifests not only in external features but also at the molecular level. For instance, ants and nettles have independently developed the same acid for defense. Fungi, in turn, have learned to synthesize psychoactive substances using different biochemical methods.

Two Paths to the Same Compound

An international team of researchers has, for the first time, proven that different species of fungi produce psilocybin—a mind-altering compound—via distinct biochemical routes. Fungi of the Psilocybe genus and the Inocybe genus (fiber caps) use different enzymes and sequences of chemical reactions to achieve this. The study’s findings were published in the journal Angewandte Chemie International Edition.

In the laboratory, scientists isolated and reproduced the enzymes from these fungi, then studied which reactions they catalyze. Chemist Bernhard Rupp used AlphaFold 3 to create models of these proteins. Analysis of their structures and the reactions they facilitate showed that the transformation chain for psilocybin in fiber caps is significantly different from the one already known in Psilocybe.

Why Do Fungi Produce Psilocybin?

Scientists still don’t know why such different groups of fungi synthesize the same active compound. One hypothesis is that psilocybin serves to deter predators. Even minor damage causes Psilocybe mushrooms to turn blue—a result of a chemical chain reaction that makes psilocybin breakdown products available. This may be a unique chemical defense mechanism.

“Nothing in nature happens without a reason. So, both types of fungi—fiber caps in the forest and Psilocybe on manure or wood chips—must have an evolutionary advantage in producing this molecule. We just don’t yet know exactly what it is,” notes Hoffmeister.

Practical Significance of the Discovery

The discovery of two independent pathways for psilocybin synthesis opens new possibilities for biotechnological production of this compound. Psilocybin has shown promising results in treating resistant depression that does not respond to standard antidepressant therapies from various pharmacological groups. Scientists hope their work will help establish psilocybin production for pharmaceuticals in bioreactors, eliminating the need for complex chemical syntheses.