Scientists have discovered a strange new fungus that combines hallucinogenic substances with some of nature's deadliest toxins, in a discovery that may carry an important health warning.
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The small brown fungus, known as Galerina indica, was found growing on moss-covered palm trunks in Florida's wetlands.
Scientists have found that it simultaneously produces psilocybin, the active compound in magic mushrooms, and amatoxins, a group of toxins responsible for most fatal mushroom poisonings worldwide.
A study led by a team from the University of Florida, published in the journal Current Biology, explained that this is the first known fungus proven to contain both of these substances, although the same compounds are known in different, unrelated fungal groups.
Scientists were originally searching for little-studied toxic fungal species in the southeastern United States, but were surprised to find hallucinogenic compounds instead.
The analysis showed that the fungus contains psilocybin and psilocin, along with two amatoxin compounds, one of which is a completely new substance to science called "alpha-proamanitine".
The team suggests that the fungus acquired the genes responsible for producing hallucinogenic substances from other fungi through a rare process known as horizontal gene transfer, while its ancestors appear to have developed the ability to produce deadly toxins beforehand.
Scientists warned that this discovery carries an important message for public health, as many mushroom pickers believe that a mushroom turning blue to the touch indicates it is hallucinogenic and non-toxic. However, the new findings show that hallucinogens and dangerous amatoxins can coexist in the same species, making this visual indicator unreliable.
Scientists said the blue color produced by some psilocin compounds may only be useful in well-known or cultivated species, and not in unclassified or unknown species.
Psilocybin causes changes in perception, mood, and sense of time, and can produce severe visual distortions, intense emotions, and sometimes hallucinations. Its effects usually begin within an hour of ingestion and can last for several hours. Many countries classify it as a controlled substance, although it is also being researched as a potential treatment for depression and post-traumatic stress disorder.
Matthew Smith, a professor of plant pathology, said that part of his job as a Florida mycologist is to identify poisonous or potentially poisonous species, adding that he regularly contacts the Florida Poison Control Center, emergency room physicians, veterinarians, and others who believe that a person or pet has eaten a mushroom.
He added that these fungi are small and brown in color, resemble hundreds of other species, and are difficult to distinguish even for a trained expert.
Researcher Andrew Connick said that scientists still don't fully understand why the fungus produces psilocybin, noting that amatoxins may help protect it from animals that feed on it, but their precise ecological role remains unclear. He added that this is what makes the discovery of the dark magic mushroom exciting, because the most important question is: why does the fungus produce these two compounds together, and what benefit do they provide it in nature?
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