RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Discovery of psychoactive plant and mushroom alkaloids in ancient fungal cicada pathogens
JF bioRxiv
FD Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory
SP 375105
DO 10.1101/375105
A1 Greg R. Boyce
A1 Emile Gluck-Thaler
A1 Jason C. Slot
A1 Jason E. Stajich
A1 William J. Davis
A1 Tim Y. James
A1 John R. Cooley
A1 Daniel G. Panaccione
A1 Jørgen Eilenberg
A1 Henrik H. De Fine Licht
A1 Angie M. Macias
A1 Matthew C. Berger
A1 Kristen L. Wickert
A1 Cameron M. Stauder
A1 Ellie J. Spahr
A1 Matthew D. Maust
A1 Amy M. Metheny
A1 Chris Simon
A1 Gene Kritsky
A1 Kathie T. Hodge
A1 Richard A. Humber
A1 Terry Gullion
A1 Dylan P. G. Short
A1 Teiya Kijimoto
A1 Dan Mozgai
A1 Nidia Arguedas
A1 Matt T. Kasson
YR 2018
UL http://biorxiv.org/content/early/2018/07/24/375105.abstract
AB Entomopathogenic fungi routinely kill their hosts before releasing infectious conidia, but select species keep their hosts alive while sporulating to enhance spore dispersal. Recent expression and metabolomics studies involving “host-killing” entomopathogens have helped unravel infection processes and host responses, yet the mechanisms underlying “active host transmission” in insects with Entomophthoralean fungal infections are completely unexplored. Here we report the discovery, through global and targeted metabolomics supported by metagenomics and proteomics, of the plant amphetamine, cathinone, in Massospora cicadina-infected periodical cicadas, and the mushroom tryptamine, psilocybin, in M. platypediae- and M. levispora-infected annual cicadas. The neurogenic activities of these alkaloids provide a hypothetical framework for a chemically induced extended phenotype of Massospora that alters cicada behavior by increasing endurance and suppressing feeding prior to death.