Mapping Endogenous Psychedelic Chemistry: Indolethylamine N-Methyltransferase (INMT) Localizes Proximal to the Golgi Apparatus of Human Neurons

INMT protein in human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived neurons localizes near the cytosolic face of the cis-Golgi network, with DMT-like and 5-HT2A R signals partially co-localizing.

• Why it matters: DMT is linked to serotonergic psychedelic activity, but the human brain protein basis for its endogenous biosynthesis has been missing, limiting mechanistic understanding.
• What they did: The study validated an anti-INMT antibody and used immunocytochemistry to map INMT and related DMT-like and 5-HT2A R immunoreactivity across multiple neuronal Golgi phenotypes.
• The result: The cis-Golgi network is identified as a candidate microdomain for psychedelic tryptamine biosynthesis, suggesting INMT activity could enrich membrane-permeable tryptamines that access an intracellular 5-HT2A R pool.

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