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Anand R, Anand LK, Rashid N, Painuli R, Malik F, Singh PP. Synthesis and Evaluation of Natural and Unnatural Tetrahydrocannabiorcol for Its Potential Use in Neuropathologies. JOURNAL OF NATURAL PRODUCTS 2024; 87:167-175. [PMID: 38355400 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jnatprod.3c00172] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/16/2024]
Abstract
(-)-trans-Δ9-Tetrahydrocannabinol (trans-(-)-Δ9-THC) has shown neuroprotective potential, but its medicinal benefits are not fully exploited due to the limitations of psychoactive properties. The lower homologues are non-psychoactive in nature but lack comprehensive scientific validation regarding neuroprotective potential. The present study describes the synthesis of non-psychoactive lower homologues of THC-type compounds and their neuroprotective potential. Both natural tetrahydro-cannabiorcol (trans-(-)-Δ9-THCO) and unnatural Δ9-tetrahydrocannabiorcol (trans-(+)-Δ9-THCO) were successfully synthesized starting from R-limonene and S-limonene, respectively, and investigated for neuroprotective potential in cellular models. The structures of both enantiomers were confirmed by NMR, HMBC, HQSC, NOESY, and COSY experiments. Results indicated that both enantiomers were nontoxic to the cells treated up to 50 μM. Neuroprotective properties of the enantiomers showed that treatments could significantly reverse the corticosterone-induced toxicity in SH-SY5Y cells and simultaneously cause elevated expression of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF). It was also observed that unnatural trans-(+)-Δ9-THCO displayed better activity than the natural enantiomer and can be further explored for its potential use in neuropathological ailments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Radhika Anand
- Natural Product & Medicinal Chemistry Division, CSIR-Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine, Canal Road, Jammu-180001, India
- Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad-201002, India
| | - Loveleena Kaur Anand
- Division of Cancer Pharmacology, CSIR-Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine, Srinagar-190005, India
- Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad-201002, India
| | - Nadia Rashid
- Division of Cancer Pharmacology, CSIR-Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine, Srinagar-190005, India
| | - Ritu Painuli
- Natural Product & Medicinal Chemistry Division, CSIR-Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine, Canal Road, Jammu-180001, India
- Department of Chemistry, School of Applied and Life Sciences, Uttaranchal University, Dehradun-248007, India
| | - Fayaz Malik
- Division of Cancer Pharmacology, CSIR-Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine, Srinagar-190005, India
- Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad-201002, India
| | - Parvinder Pal Singh
- Natural Product & Medicinal Chemistry Division, CSIR-Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine, Canal Road, Jammu-180001, India
- Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad-201002, India
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Naser Al-Eitan L, Zuhair Alahmad S. The Expression Analyses of GSK3B, VEGF, ANG1, and ANG2 in Human Brain Microvascular Endothelial Cells Treated with the Synthetic Cannabinoid XLR-11. Gene 2023:147585. [PMID: 37355149 DOI: 10.1016/j.gene.2023.147585] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2023] [Revised: 06/03/2023] [Accepted: 06/20/2023] [Indexed: 06/26/2023]
Abstract
The endocannabinoid system receptors, cannabinoid receptors type-1 (CBR-1) and -2 (CBR-2), are implicated in several behavioral and cognitive processes. Many studies have indicated a correlation between cannabinoid receptors and angiogenesis. The current study aims to reveal the possible molecular signaling involved in brain angiogenesis induced by the activation of CBR-1 and CBR-2. We investigated whether the synthetic cannabinoid XLR-11, an agonist of CBR-1 and CBR-2, influences the mRNA and protein expression of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), angiopoietin-1 (ANG1) and -2 (ANG2) in human brain microvascular endothelial cells (hBMVEs). Furthermore, we determined the phosphorylation of glycogen synthase kinase 3 beta (GSK3B) expression. Treatment of hBMVEs cells with XLR-11 elevated the mRNA levels of VEGF, ANG1, and ANG2. The secretion of these proangiogenic factors was increased in the media. Furthermore, the intracellular expression of VEGF, ANG1, ANG2, and GSK3B was significantly increased. This current research provides a new possible approach by targeting the cannabinoid receptors to control and regulate brain angiogenesis for treating a variety of angiogenesis-related diseases. This could be achived by using different agonists or antagonists of the cannabinoid receptors based on the nature of the diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laith Naser Al-Eitan
- Department of Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering, Jordan University of Science and Technology, Irbid 22110, Jordan.
| | - Saif Zuhair Alahmad
- Department of Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering, Jordan University of Science and Technology, Irbid 22110, Jordan.
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Welling MT, Deseo MA, O’Brien M, Clifton J, Bacic A, Doblin MS. Metabolomic analysis of methyl jasmonate treatment on phytocannabinoid production in Cannabis sativa. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2023; 14:1110144. [PMID: 37025140 PMCID: PMC10070988 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2023.1110144] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2022] [Accepted: 03/07/2023] [Indexed: 06/19/2023]
Abstract
Cannabis sativa is a multi-use and chemically complex plant which is utilized for food, fiber, and medicine. Plants produce a class of psychoactive and medicinally important specialized metabolites referred to as phytocannabinoids (PCs). The phytohormone methyl jasmonate (MeJA) is a naturally occurring methyl ester of jasmonic acid and a product of oxylipin biosynthesis which initiates and regulates the biosynthesis of a broad range of specialized metabolites across a number of diverse plant lineages. While the effects of exogenous MeJA application on PC production has been reported, treatments have been constrained to a narrow molar range and to the targeted analysis of a small number of compounds. Using high-resolution mass spectrometry with data-dependent acquisition, we examined the global metabolomic effects of MeJA in C. sativa to explore oxylipin-mediated regulation of PC biosynthesis and accumulation. A dose-response relationship was observed, with an almost two-fold increase in PC content found in inflorescences of female clones treated with 15 mM MeJA compared to the control group. Comparison of the inflorescence metabolome across MeJA treatments coupled with targeted transcript analysis was used to elucidate key regulatory components contributing to PC production and metabolism more broadly. Revealing these biological signatures improves our understanding of the role of the oxylipin pathway in C. sativa and provides putative molecular targets for the metabolic engineering and optimization of chemical phenotype for medicinal and industrial end-uses.
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Metabolic Engineering of Nicotiana benthamiana to Produce Cannabinoid Precursors and Their Analogues. Metabolites 2022; 12:metabo12121181. [PMID: 36557219 PMCID: PMC9786632 DOI: 10.3390/metabo12121181] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2022] [Revised: 11/22/2022] [Accepted: 11/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
In recent years, the perspective towards the use of cannabis has slowly shifted from being an illicit drug to a medicinal plant. The pathway and enzymes involved in the production of cannabinoids are known; however, studies evaluating the production of cannabinoids in heterologous plants and cell cultures are still limited. In this study, we assessed the potential use of N. benthamiana (Nicotiana benthamiana) plants as a heterologous host for producing natural and novel cannabinoids. Transgenic N. benthamiana plants expressing genes encoding cannabis acyl-activating enzyme and olivetol synthase were generated, which were then used for transiently expressing other downstream pathway genes. Production of olivetolic acid and divarinic acid, the universal precursors for major and minor cannabinoids, respectively, was observed in transgenic N. benthamiana plants. To produce novel cannabinoid precursors with different side chains, various fatty acids were infiltrated into the transgenic N. benthamiana plants and the production of novel derivatives was observed. Although we were not able to derive the core intermediate, cannabigerolic acid, from our transgenic plants, possibly due to the low production levels of the precursors, our transgenics plants still serve as a high-potential platform for further development and exploring the N. benthamiana chemical space for generating novel cannabinoids.
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Welling MT, Deseo MA, Bacic A, Doblin MS. Biosynthetic origins of unusual cannabimimetic phytocannabinoids in Cannabis sativa L: A review. PHYTOCHEMISTRY 2022; 201:113282. [PMID: 35718133 DOI: 10.1016/j.phytochem.2022.113282] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2022] [Revised: 06/02/2022] [Accepted: 06/11/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Plants of Cannabis sativa L. (Cannabaceae) produce an array of more than 160 isoprenylated resorcinyl polyketides, commonly referred to as phytocannabinoids. These compounds represent molecules of therapeutic importance due to their modulation of the human endocannabinoid system (ECS). While understanding of the biosynthesis of the major phytocannabinoids Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (Δ9-THC) and cannabidiol (CBD) has grown rapidly in recent years, the biosynthetic origin and genetic regulation of many potentially therapeutically relevant minor phytocannabinoids remain unknown, which limits the development of chemotypically elite varieties of C. sativa. This review provides an up-to-date inventory of unusual phytocannabinoids which exhibit cannabimimetic-like activities and proposes putative metabolic origins. Metabolic branch points exploitable for combinatorial biosynthesis and engineering of phytocannabinoids with augmented therapeutic activities are also described, as is the role of phytocannabinoid remodelling to accelerate the therapeutic portfolio expansion in C. sativa.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew T Welling
- La Trobe Institute for Agriculture & Food, AgriBio Building, Department of Animal, Plant and Soil Sciences, School of Agriculture, Biomedicine and Environment, La Trobe University, Bundoora, VIC 3086, Australia
| | - Myrna A Deseo
- La Trobe Institute for Agriculture & Food, AgriBio Building, Department of Animal, Plant and Soil Sciences, School of Agriculture, Biomedicine and Environment, La Trobe University, Bundoora, VIC 3086, Australia; Australian Research Council Research Hub for Medicinal Agriculture, AgriBio Building, La Trobe University, Bundoora, VIC 3086, Australia
| | - Antony Bacic
- La Trobe Institute for Agriculture & Food, AgriBio Building, Department of Animal, Plant and Soil Sciences, School of Agriculture, Biomedicine and Environment, La Trobe University, Bundoora, VIC 3086, Australia; Australian Research Council Research Hub for Medicinal Agriculture, AgriBio Building, La Trobe University, Bundoora, VIC 3086, Australia
| | - Monika S Doblin
- La Trobe Institute for Agriculture & Food, AgriBio Building, Department of Animal, Plant and Soil Sciences, School of Agriculture, Biomedicine and Environment, La Trobe University, Bundoora, VIC 3086, Australia; Australian Research Council Research Hub for Medicinal Agriculture, AgriBio Building, La Trobe University, Bundoora, VIC 3086, Australia.
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Lee YE, Nakashima Y, Kodama T, Chen X, Morita H. Dual Engineering of Olivetolic Acid Cyclase and Tetraketide Synthase to Generate Longer Alkyl-Chain Olivetolic Acid Analogs. Org Lett 2021; 24:410-414. [PMID: 34939812 DOI: 10.1021/acs.orglett.1c04089] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
The therapeutic effects of Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (Δ9-THC) can be enhanced by modifications of the pentyl moiety at C-3. The engineering of Cannabis sativa olivetolic acid cyclase and tetraketide synthase with F24I and L190G substitutions, respectively, in the biosynthesis of Δ9-THC serves as a platform for the generation of resorcylic acids up to 6-undecylresorcylic acid. These results provide insights into the development of THC analogs with chemically distinct acyl moieties at C-3.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuan-E Lee
- Institute of Natural Medicine, University of Toyama, Toyoma 930-0194, Japan
| | - Yu Nakashima
- Institute of Natural Medicine, University of Toyama, Toyoma 930-0194, Japan
| | - Takeshi Kodama
- Institute of Natural Medicine, University of Toyama, Toyoma 930-0194, Japan
| | - Xinrui Chen
- Institute of Natural Medicine, University of Toyama, Toyoma 930-0194, Japan
| | - Hiroyuki Morita
- Institute of Natural Medicine, University of Toyama, Toyoma 930-0194, Japan
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Linciano P, Russo F, Citti C, Tolomeo F, Paris R, Fulvio F, Pecchioni N, Vandelli MA, Laganà A, Capriotti AL, Biagini G, Carbone L, Gigli G, Cannazza G. The novel heptyl phorolic acid cannabinoids content in different Cannabis sativa L. accessions. Talanta 2021; 235:122704. [PMID: 34517579 DOI: 10.1016/j.talanta.2021.122704] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2021] [Revised: 07/06/2021] [Accepted: 07/08/2021] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
The recent discovery of the novel heptyl phytocannabinoids cannabidiphorol (CBDP) and Δ9-tetrahydrocannabiphorol (Δ9-THCP) raised a series of questions relating to the presence and abundance of these new unorthodox compounds in cannabis inflorescence or derived products. As fresh inflorescence contains mainly their acid precursors, which are not commercially available, an ad hoc stereoselective synthesis was performed in order to obtain cannabidiphorolic acid (CBDPA) and Δ9-tetrahydrocannabiphorolic acid (THCPA) to be used as analytical standards for quantitative purposes. The present work reports an unprecedented targeted analysis of both pentyl (C5) and heptyl (C7) CBD- and THC-type compounds in forty-nine cannabis samples representing four different chemotypes. Moreover, the ultrahigh performance liquid chromatography coupled to high-resolution mass spectrometry-based method was applied for the putative identification of other heptyl homologs of the most common phytocannabinoid acids, including cannabigerophorolic acid (CBGPA), cannabichromephorolic acid (CBCPA), cannabinophorolic acid (CBNPA), cannabielsophorolic acid (CBEPA), cannabicyclophorolic acid (CBLPA), cannabitriophorolic acid (CBTPA), and cannabiripsophorolic acid (CBRPA).
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Affiliation(s)
- Pasquale Linciano
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Via G. Campi 103, 41125, Modena, Italy; School of Pharmacy, University of Pavia, Viale Taramelli 12, 27100, Pavia, Italy
| | - Fabiana Russo
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Via G. Campi 103, 41125, Modena, Italy
| | - Cinzia Citti
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Via G. Campi 103, 41125, Modena, Italy; Institute of Nanotechnology, CNR NANOTEC, Via Monteroni, 73100, Lecce, Italy.
| | - Francesco Tolomeo
- Institute of Nanotechnology, CNR NANOTEC, Via Monteroni, 73100, Lecce, Italy
| | - Roberta Paris
- CREA-Research Center for Cereal and Industrial Crops, Via di Corticella 133, 40128, Bologna, Italy
| | - Flavia Fulvio
- CREA-Research Center for Cereal and Industrial Crops, Via di Corticella 133, 40128, Bologna, Italy
| | - Nicola Pecchioni
- CREA-Research Center for Cereal and Industrial Crops, S.S. 673 Km 25,200, 71122, Foggia, Italy
| | - Maria Angela Vandelli
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Via G. Campi 103, 41125, Modena, Italy
| | - Aldo Laganà
- Institute of Nanotechnology, CNR NANOTEC, Via Monteroni, 73100, Lecce, Italy; Department of Chemistry, Sapienza University of Rome, Piazzale Aldo Moro 5, 00185, Rome, Italy
| | - Anna Laura Capriotti
- Department of Chemistry, Sapienza University of Rome, Piazzale Aldo Moro 5, 00185, Rome, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Biagini
- Department of Biomedical, Metabolic and Neural Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Via G. Campi 287, 41125, Modena, Italy
| | - Luigi Carbone
- Institute of Nanotechnology, CNR NANOTEC, Via Monteroni, 73100, Lecce, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Gigli
- Institute of Nanotechnology, CNR NANOTEC, Via Monteroni, 73100, Lecce, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Cannazza
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Via G. Campi 103, 41125, Modena, Italy; Institute of Nanotechnology, CNR NANOTEC, Via Monteroni, 73100, Lecce, Italy
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Hurgobin B, Tamiru‐Oli M, Welling MT, Doblin MS, Bacic A, Whelan J, Lewsey MG. Recent advances in Cannabis sativa genomics research. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2021; 230:73-89. [PMID: 33283274 PMCID: PMC7986631 DOI: 10.1111/nph.17140] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2020] [Accepted: 11/27/2020] [Indexed: 05/06/2023]
Abstract
Cannabis (Cannabis sativa L.) is one of the oldest cultivated plants purported to have unique medicinal properties. However, scientific research of cannabis has been restricted by the Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs of 1961, an international treaty that prohibits the production and supply of narcotic drugs except under license. Legislation governing cannabis cultivation for research, medicinal and even recreational purposes has been relaxed recently in certain jurisdictions. As a result, there is now potential to accelerate cultivar development of this multi-use and potentially medically useful plant species by application of modern genomics technologies. Whilst genomics has been pivotal to our understanding of the basic biology and molecular mechanisms controlling key traits in several crop species, much work is needed for cannabis. In this review we provide a comprehensive summary of key cannabis genomics resources and their applications. We also discuss prospective applications of existing and emerging genomics technologies for accelerating the genetic improvement of cannabis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bhavna Hurgobin
- La Trobe Institute for Agriculture and FoodDepartment of Animal, Plant and Soil SciencesSchool of Life SciencesLa Trobe UniversityAgriBio BuildingBundooraVIC3086Australia
- Australian Research Council Research Hub for Medicinal AgricultureLa Trobe UniversityAgriBio BuildingBundooraVIC3086Australia
| | - Muluneh Tamiru‐Oli
- La Trobe Institute for Agriculture and FoodDepartment of Animal, Plant and Soil SciencesSchool of Life SciencesLa Trobe UniversityAgriBio BuildingBundooraVIC3086Australia
- Australian Research Council Research Hub for Medicinal AgricultureLa Trobe UniversityAgriBio BuildingBundooraVIC3086Australia
| | - Matthew T. Welling
- La Trobe Institute for Agriculture and FoodDepartment of Animal, Plant and Soil SciencesSchool of Life SciencesLa Trobe UniversityAgriBio BuildingBundooraVIC3086Australia
- Australian Research Council Research Hub for Medicinal AgricultureLa Trobe UniversityAgriBio BuildingBundooraVIC3086Australia
| | - Monika S. Doblin
- La Trobe Institute for Agriculture and FoodDepartment of Animal, Plant and Soil SciencesSchool of Life SciencesLa Trobe UniversityAgriBio BuildingBundooraVIC3086Australia
- Australian Research Council Research Hub for Medicinal AgricultureLa Trobe UniversityAgriBio BuildingBundooraVIC3086Australia
| | - Antony Bacic
- La Trobe Institute for Agriculture and FoodDepartment of Animal, Plant and Soil SciencesSchool of Life SciencesLa Trobe UniversityAgriBio BuildingBundooraVIC3086Australia
- Australian Research Council Research Hub for Medicinal AgricultureLa Trobe UniversityAgriBio BuildingBundooraVIC3086Australia
| | - James Whelan
- La Trobe Institute for Agriculture and FoodDepartment of Animal, Plant and Soil SciencesSchool of Life SciencesLa Trobe UniversityAgriBio BuildingBundooraVIC3086Australia
- Australian Research Council Research Hub for Medicinal AgricultureLa Trobe UniversityAgriBio BuildingBundooraVIC3086Australia
- Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Plant Energy BiologyLa Trobe UniversityAgriBio BuildingBundooraVIC3086Australia
| | - Mathew G. Lewsey
- La Trobe Institute for Agriculture and FoodDepartment of Animal, Plant and Soil SciencesSchool of Life SciencesLa Trobe UniversityAgriBio BuildingBundooraVIC3086Australia
- Australian Research Council Research Hub for Medicinal AgricultureLa Trobe UniversityAgriBio BuildingBundooraVIC3086Australia
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Sampson PB. Phytocannabinoid Pharmacology: Medicinal Properties of Cannabis sativa Constituents Aside from the "Big Two". JOURNAL OF NATURAL PRODUCTS 2021; 84:142-160. [PMID: 33356248 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jnatprod.0c00965] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Plant-based therapies date back centuries. Cannabis sativa is one such plant that was used medicinally up until the early part of the 20th century. Although rich in diverse and interesting phytochemicals, cannabis was largely ignored by the modern scientific community due to its designation as a schedule 1 narcotic and restrictions on access for research purposes. There was renewed interest in the early 1990s when the endocannabinoid system (ECS) was discovered, a complex network of signaling pathways responsible for physiological homeostasis. Two key components of the ECS, cannabinoid receptor 1 (CB1) and cannabinoid receptor 2 (CB2), were identified as the molecular targets of the phytocannabinoid Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (Δ9-THC). Restrictions on access to cannabis have eased worldwide, leading to a resurgence in interest in the therapeutic potential of cannabis. Much of the focus has been on the two major constituents, Δ9-THC and cannabidiol (CBD). Cannabis contains over 140 phytocannabinoids, although only a handful have been tested for pharmacological activity. Many of these minor cannabinoids potently modulate receptors, ionotropic channels, and enzymes associated with the ECS and show therapeutic potential individually or synergistically with other phytocannabinoids. The following review will focus on the pharmacological developments of the next generation of phytocannabinoid therapeutics.
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Welling MT, Deseo MA, Bacic A, Doblin MS. Untargeted Metabolomic Analyses Reveal Chemical Complexity of Dioecious Cannabis Flowers. Aust J Chem 2021. [DOI: 10.1071/ch21033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Cannabis is a mostly dioecious multi-use flowering plant genus. Sexual dimorphism is an important characteristic in Cannabis-based commercial production systems, which has consequences for fibre, seed, and the yield of secondary metabolites, such as phytocannabinoid and terpenes for therapeutic uses. Beyond the obvious morphological differences between male and female plants, metabolic variation among dioecious flowers is largely undefined. Here, we report a pilot metabolomic study comparing staminate (male) and pistillate (female) unisexual flowers. Enrichment of the α-linolenic acid pathway and consensus evaluation of the jasmonic acid (JA) related compound 12-oxo-phytodienoicacid (OPDA) among differentially abundant metabolites suggests that oxylipin signalling is associated with secondary metabolism and sex expression in female flowers. Several putative phytocannabinoid-like compounds were observed to be upregulated in female flowers, but full identification was not possible due to the limitation of available databases. Targeted analysis of 14 phytocannabinoids using certified reference standards (cannabidiolic acid (CBDA), cannabidiol (CBD), Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinolic acid A (Δ9-THCAA), Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (Δ9-THC), cannabichromenic acid (CBCA), cannabichromene (CBC), cannabigerolic acid (CBGA), cannabigerol (CBG), cannabinolic acid (CBNA), cannabinol (CBN), cannabidivarinic acid (CBDVA), cannabidivarin (CBDV), tetrahydrocannabivarinic acid (THCVA), and tetrahydrocannabivarin (THCV)) showed a higher total phytocannabinoid content in female flowers compared with the male flowers, as expected. In summary, the development of a phytocannabinoid-specific accurate-mass MSn fragmentation spectral library and gene pool representative metabolome has the potential to improve small molecule compound annotation and accelerate understanding of metabolic variation underlying phenotypic diversity in Cannabis.
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An extreme-phenotype genome-wide association study identifies candidate cannabinoid pathway genes in Cannabis. Sci Rep 2020; 10:18643. [PMID: 33122674 PMCID: PMC7596533 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-75271-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2020] [Accepted: 10/05/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Cannabis produces a class of isoprenylated resorcinyl polyketides known as cannabinoids, a subset of which are medically important and exclusive to this plant. The cannabinoid alkyl group is a critical structural feature that governs therapeutic activity. Genetic enhancement of the alkyl side-chain could lead to the development of novel chemical phenotypes (chemotypes) for pharmaceutical end-use. However, the genetic determinants underlying in planta variation of cannabinoid alkyl side-chain length remain uncharacterised. Using a diversity panel derived from the Ecofibre Cannabis germplasm collection, an extreme-phenotype genome-wide association study (XP-GWAS) was used to enrich for alkyl cannabinoid polymorphic regions. Resequencing of chemotypically extreme pools revealed a known cannabinoid synthesis pathway locus as well as a series of chemotype-associated genomic regions. One of these regions contained a candidate gene encoding a β-keto acyl carrier protein (ACP) reductase (BKR) putatively associated with polyketide fatty acid starter unit synthesis and alkyl side-chain length. Association analysis revealed twenty-two polymorphic variants spanning the length of this gene, including two nonsynonymous substitutions. The success of this first reported application of XP-GWAS for an obligate outcrossing and highly heterozygote plant genus suggests that this approach may have generic application for other plant species.
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New frontiers: harnessing pivotal advances in microbial engineering for the biosynthesis of plant-derived terpenoids. Curr Opin Biotechnol 2020; 65:88-93. [DOI: 10.1016/j.copbio.2020.02.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2020] [Revised: 01/30/2020] [Accepted: 02/02/2020] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
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