Tracing the Path of Psychedelics: A Genomic Investigation into DMT Biosynthesis in Psychotria viridis and Mimosa tenuiflora

• Grant number: 23/10314-4
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Post-Doctoral
• Start date: June 01, 2024
• End date: May 31, 2026
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Genetics - Plant Genetics
• Principal Investigator: Alessandro de Mello Varani
• Grantee: Vitor Trinca
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Ciências Agrárias e Veterinárias (FCAV). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de Jaboticabal. Jaboticabal , SP, Brazil
• Associated research grant: 21/10639-5 - Center for Research on Biodiversity Dynamics and Climate Change, AP.CEPID

Abstract

N,N-Dimethyltryptamine (DMT), a potent psychedelic substance, is endogenously produced within various human organs, including the lungs, spinal cord, brain, retina, and pineal gland. Yet, the precise role and function of endogenous DMT remain enigmatic. Ayahuasca, the most prevalent botanical source of DMT and traditionally used in religious ceremonies by Amerindian communities, is under exploration as a potential treatment model for mental disorders. In Northern Brazil, Ayahuasca is typically derived from a concoction of macerated Banisteriopsis caapi liana and Psychotria viridis leaves, with the latter being a DMT producer. Another notable source of DMT is the Mimosa tenuiflora tree, known colloquially as "Jurema preta." The beverage known as "Vinho de Jurema" or "Jurema wine," consumed in Northeastern Brazil, is derived from this tree. DMT synthesis occurs in the leaves, stem, and root barks of M. hostilis at varying concentrations. The DMT biosynthetic pathways originates from tryptophan and is catalyzed in three stages by two enzymes: aromatic-L-amino acid decarboxylase (AADC) and indolethylamine-N-methyltransferase (INMT). However, a significant knowledge gap exists, as there is limited genomic data detailing DMT biosynthesis and a scarcity of comparative studies between the aforementioned species. As such, this project seeks to sequence and analyze the M. tenuiflora genome in parallel with the ongoing sequencing and annotation of the P. viridis genome as part of our current FAPESP regular project (#22/15735-5). Next-generation sequencing methods, specifically the PacBio HiFi REVIO and Illumina Hi-C (Chromosome conformation capture), will be utilized. Our objectives include the exploration of the structure and evolutionary history of genes involved in DMT biosynthesis pathways, in addition to the analysis of secondary metabolites in both P. viridis and M. tenuiflora.

Scientific publications

(References retrieved automatically from Web of Science and SciELO through information on FAPESP grants and their corresponding numbers as mentioned in the publications by the authors)

TRINCA, VITOR; SILVA, SAURA R.; ALMEIDA, JOAO V. A.; MIRANDA, VITOR F. O.; COSTA-MACEDO, JOSE V.; CARNAVAL, TATIANE K. B. A.; ARAUJO, DRAULIO B.; PROSDOCIMI, FRANCISCO; VARANI, ALESSANDRO M.. Unraveling the organellar genomic landscape of the therapeutic and entheogenic plant Mimosa tenuiflora: insights into genetic, structural, and evolutionary dynamics. FUNCTIONAL & INTEGRATIVE GENOMICS, v. 25, n. 1, p. 18-pg., 2025-12-01. (22/15735-5, 23/10314-4)