A West Virginia University student has discovered a new species of fungus that could have significant implications for pharmaceutical development. Corinne Hazel, an environmental microbiology major and Goldwater Scholar from Delaware, Ohio, identified the fungus while studying morning glory plants in a lab setting.
Hazel found the fungus, named Periglandula clandestina, growing within morning glory plants. She was conducting research on how these plants disperse protective chemicals known as ergot alkaloids through their roots when she noticed the presence of the fungus.
“We had a ton of plants lying around and they had these tiny little seed coats,” Hazel said. “We noticed a little bit of fuzz in the seed coat. That was our fungus.”
The discovery was confirmed through DNA sequencing funded by a WVU Davis College Student Enhancement Grant obtained by Hazel. The genome sequence is now archived with her name in a gene bank.
“Sequencing a genome is a significant thing,” said Daniel Panaccione, Davis-Michael Professor of Plant and Soil Sciences at WVU Davis College of Agriculture and Natural Resources. “It’s amazing for a student.”
The finding sheds light on the hypothesis proposed by Swiss chemist Albert Hofmann, who invented LSD in the late 1930s. Hofmann suggested that fungi within morning glories produced alkaloids similar to those he modified to create LSD, but until now, no specific species had been identified.
“Morning glories contain high concentrations of similar lysergic acid derivatives that give them their psychedelic activities,” Panaccione explained. “This inspired Hofmann and others to investigate morning glories for the presence of a hidden fungus related to the ergot fungus that might be the source of these chemicals.”
Ergot alkaloids are exclusively produced by fungi and can be found in grains like rye as well as morning glories. While potentially poisonous to humans and livestock, they are used therapeutically for conditions such as migraines and Parkinson’s disease.
Periglandula clandestina’s ability to produce large quantities of ergot alkaloids makes it an intriguing subject for further pharmaceutical research. “Many things are toxic,” Panaccione noted. “But if you administer them in the right dosage or modify them, they can be useful pharmaceuticals.”
Hazel is continuing her research into cultivating this slow-growing fungus effectively and exploring whether other morning glory species may host similar fungal symbiotes producing ergot alkaloids yet undiscovered.
