Back to journals
Academic JournalOpen Access

Nature Communications

5 Papers Indexed in Blossom

Published Papers

Open Accessindividual

Psilocybin’s lasting action requires pyramidal cell types and 5-HT2A receptors

This mouse study investigates how psilocybin affects different types of brain cells in the medial frontal cortex (mPFC; decision-making processes and judgement). The research finds that psilocybin increases dendritic spine density in both pyramidal tract (PT) and intratelencephalic (IT) neurons, but only PT neurons are essential for psilocybin's anti-stress effects through 5-HT2A receptor activation.

Published
Journal
Nature Communications
Authors
Shao, L-X,, Tan, D., Liao, C., Davoudian, P. A., Savalia, N., Jiang, Q., Wojtasiewicz, C., Nothnagel, J. D., Liu, R.-J., Woodburn, S. C., Bilash, O. M., Kim, H., Che, A., Kwan, A. C.
Open Accessindividual

The structural diversity of psychedelic drug actions revealed

This study presents seven cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) structures showing how different classes of psychedelic and non-psychedelic compounds interact with the serotonin (5-HT) 2A receptor-the primary target for classical psychedelics' therapeutic effects-revealing both shared and distinct binding patterns that could guide the development of new therapeutic compounds with improved side effect profiles.

Published
Journal
Nature Communications
Authors
Gumpper, R. H., Jain, M. K., Kim, K., Sun, R., Sun, N., Xu, Z., Diberto, J. F., Krumm, B. E., Kapolka, N. J., Ümit Kaniskan, H., Nichols, D. E., Jin, J., Fay, J. F., Roth, B. L.
Open Accessindividual

Methyl transfer in psilocybin biosynthesis

Atomic-resolution (0.9 Å) crystal structures of PsiM at multiple reaction stages reveal the SAM-dependent dimethylation mechanism and show that its substrates physicochemically mimic RNA, while structural and phylogenetic analyses indicate PsiM derives from METTL16-family m6A writers. The study also shows inherent limitations of the ancestral monomethyltransferase scaffold that reduce psilocybin assembly efficiency and prevent trimethylation to aeruginascin, informing bioengineering efforts to create improved psilocybin variants.

Published
Journal
Nature Communications
Authors
Hudspeth, J., Rogge, K., Dörner, S., Müll, M., Hoffmeister, D., Rupp, B., Werten, S.
Open Accessindividual

Ketamine's acute effects on negative brain states are mediated through distinct altered states of consciousness in humans

This placebo-controlled study (n=13) investigated the effects of ketamine (3.5-35mg/70kg) on altered states of consciousness (ASCs) and their neural mechanisms. It examined the impact of different doses of ketamine on emotional task-evoked brain activity and various components of dissociation and ASCs. The study found that ketamine-induced ASCs had differential effects on brain activity, with higher depersonalization relieving negative brain states, while dissociative amnesia exacerbated insula activity. These results may provide insights into how specific dissociative states predict the response to ketamine in individuals with depression.

Published
Journal
Nature Communications
Authors
Hack, L. M., Zhang, X., Heifets, B. D., Suppes, T., Van Roessel, P. J., Yesavage, J. A., Gray, N. J., Hilton, R., Bertrand, C., Rodriguez, C. I., Deisseroth, K., Knutson, B., Williams, L. M.
Open Accessindividual

Receptor-informed network control theory links LSD and psilocybin to a flattening of the brain’s control energy landscape

This paper (2022) combines data of the brain’s resting state under the influence of LSD and cortical mapping of 5-HT2A receptors within the framework of network control theory to validate the central tenets of the REBUS model of psychedelics. In accordance with this model, LSD-induced flattening of the brain’s energy landscape, corresponding to greater flexibility for state transitions and more dwell time in brain states than encode bottom-up activity (e.g. salience network) and decreased persistence of states dominated by top-down (frontoparietal) activity.

Published
Journal
Nature Communications
Authors
Singleton, S. P., Luppi, A. I., Carhart-Harris, R. L., Cruzat, J., Roseman, L., Nutt, D. J., Deco, G., Kringelbach, M. L., Stamatakis, E. A., Kuceyeski, A.

Quick Facts

Papers Indexed
5
h-Index
577
Open Access
Yes
Publisher
Nature Portfolio
Country
United Kingdom
Website
Visit