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DMT's Widespread presence in plantlife?

Ham-milton

Ham-milton

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I was doing some research into why DMT is practically omnipresent in plantlife. Then I came across the structure of an indole auxin. Is there a metabolic pathway that turns that auxin into DMT?

That makes a hell of a lot more sense than some of the theories I've heard (evolving along with human use, like is proposed with opiates and d-9-thc), which I always had a hard to buying.

Does anyone know if this has been explored? I can't imagine it hasn't, but who knows?
 
probably because it is metabolically easy to make, is volatile and smells/tastes like shit (literally, skatole is really close in structure)
 
Well certainly there's a reason it's being made, don't you think? I'd like to think it's either a by-product of the hormone production or part of the deactivation of the hormone.
 
It's like asking why water is wet. Who knows. It's a nice fairytale to think it is divine good fortune for the benefit of the evolving human brain and that it's all part of some cosmic plan maaaaan.... But who knows? It probably is just a natural by-product of mant plants' natural metabolism. So in a sense it is part a larger contectual chain of meaning and mystery... pass that joint man,,,
 
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No, nothing like that at all. I don't think anyone who *isn't* high will attribute it to a cosmic plan, but there are certainly well grounded theories about the evolution of other psychoactive plants along side man's need to get a buzz. Papaver somniferum, for one. Cannabis, another one, probably.

But that doesn't track well with DMT. However, does anyone know if/how DMT is metabolized from Auxin?
 
The point of asking why dmt is so widespread in plants is the same as asking why anything is the way it is, hence why is water wet? It just is. But in a basic sense it just probably developed as a defense mechanism.
 
it may not be orally active, but it sure tastes like shit!

likely, it is an anti-insect agent, like cocaine, but not as specific. The plants make it, its volatile, the bugs smell it, they go eat something else because they dont like to eat dmt for whatever reason.
 
indole-3-glycerinephosphate ---> indole ---> tryptophan ---> tryptamine ---> indole-3-acetaldehyde ---> indole-3-acetic acid (auxin)

http://books.google.com/books?id=PQ...&sig=b8edsYiycL4nsy8sd9rvQti_6CA#PRA3-PA43,M1

Tryptamine + indolethylamine N-methyltransferase ---> NMT ---> DMT

Tryptophan is ubiquitous. Tryptamine and 5-HT are nearly so. One possibility is that DMT biosynthsis branched off from gramine biosynthesis, which serves as an antifungal in some plants (e.g. barley). It's not difficult to imagine n-methyltransferase activity extending from gramine synthesis to DMT. I'd like to know if DMT or any related N-methylated tryps actually serve a protective function?

... or do they just make me get hii???
 
Dondante said:
One possibility is that DMT biosynthsis branched off from gramine biosynthesis, which serves as an antifungal in some plants (e.g. barley).
Click to expand...
I have read reports of DMT levels significantly rising in grasses after heavy rains. Hmmm could anti fungal properties be why?
 
Is DMT orally totally inactive without MAOis Or do you just need a lot of it orally for it to work?
 
you would need a very large pile, but it is possible-the dose range of mescaline is partly for this reason, as it is a rather potent agonist once it gets there
 
DMT is present in human BRAINS!

Our brains make DMT. Why would we need it from an external source? DMT is released from the pineal gland during sleep, out-of-body experiences, near-death experiences, and spiritual experiences.

http://www.rickstrassman.com/dmt/chaptersummaries.html

Life is psychedelic. I absolutely love that dreams are basically short trips and the ruling fascists have banned our endogenous psychedelic. Technically, every human being is in possession of a schedule 1 substance 8o ;) =D

I find that infinitely hilarious.
 
I don't think we *need* an external source. I don't think DMT is in plants because of any evolutionary thing, I think it's just something that's left over from auxin metabolism or production.

I don't particularly buy the theory that DMT causes dreams. I've had 2 very high dose DMT trips, and none of them had anything in common with dreams.

There just isn't enough evidence to indicate that it is.
 
DMT does not CAUSE dreams BUT a heightened amount of endogenous DMT (nothing overwhelming, but still well above baseline) likely impacts the dream process

pinoline also plays a role
 
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