mulungu mechanism?

[nuke]

There are lots of papers out there with the biosynthetic pathway. It's made endogenously by humans too, look it up. Anyway, this isn't the thread for that.

 

[daddysgone]

no, it's not a morphinan because it's not a morphinan, because it doesn't contain the morphinan backbone. Nothing at all to do with precursors.

Morphine isn't made from peptides, anyway. It goes tyrosine --> norlaudanosoline --> reticuline --> salutaridine --> salutaridinol-I --> thebaine --> codeine --> morphine, in papaver species anyway. I assume someting similar in what animal tissues also produce it.

Ok, so this might be a bit far-fetched, but given reticuline's place in the pathway from tyrosine to morphine, would it be even theoretically possible to introduce papaver enzymes into Lindera aggregata (which has a high concentration of reticuline), and get this plant to produce morphine?-DG

 

[daddysgone]

One other quick question to add to my post above^^^^^^^

Why exactly would reticuline be found in high concentrations (or any concentrations) in Lindera aggregata. Reticuline is an intermediary in the production of morphine in poppies, but what function would it serve in a plant that does not produce grazing deterrents like morphine?

Id also like to hear what you guys have to say regarding my original question above-if papever enzymes could somehow be introduced into Lindera aggregata, allowing this plant to produce morphine.-DG

 

[onmyway]

do you mean introducing the genes for those enzymes? im sure its possible, but costly in terms of money and time.

i dont know about the second question. it might not have any purpose, but may just be evolutionary leftovers.

since we are dreaming: sometimes i have this beautiful dream where i can dump a packet of transgenic yeast into a lactose solution, wait an hour, then drink the psilocybin that the yeast has made. but that is just a pipe dream.

 

[daddysgone]

^^^^^^^^^^
Yes, Im sorry I should have been more clear, I meant inserting the genes which might produce the proper enzymes to convert reticuline to salutaradine, and bring it the rest of the way to morphine.
Im sure u are correct that this would be extremely costly, and perhaps, not yet feasible given the current state of our ability to make such genetic modifications.
But in the future...who knows. It would be truly amazing if we ever "catch up" to the plant kingdom's godlike control of enzymatic activity.

As far as your particular dream of using yeast, I have no real interest in psychedelics, so while I find it appealing in theory...I would be less interested in the actual final product.-DG