1
|
Wang F, Zang Z, Zhao Q, Xiaoyang C, Lei X, Wang Y, Ma Y, Cao R, Song X, Tang L, Deyholos MK, Zhang J. Advancement of Research Progress on Synthesis Mechanism of Cannabidiol (CBD). ACS Synth Biol 2024; 13:2008-2018. [PMID: 38900848 PMCID: PMC11264327 DOI: 10.1021/acssynbio.4c00239] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2024] [Revised: 06/11/2024] [Accepted: 06/11/2024] [Indexed: 06/22/2024]
Abstract
Cannabis sativa L. is a multipurpose crop with high value for food, textiles, and other industries. Its secondary metabolites, including cannabidiol (CBD), have potential for broad application in medicine. With the CBD market expanding, traditional production may not be sufficient. Here we review the potential for the production of CBD using biotechnology. We describe the chemical and biological synthesis of cannabinoids, the associated enzymes, and the application of metabolic engineering, synthetic biology, and heterologous expression to increasing production of CBD.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Fu Wang
- Faculty
of Agronomy, Jilin Agricultural University, Changchun 130118, China
| | - Zhenyuan Zang
- Faculty
of Agronomy, Jilin Agricultural University, Changchun 130118, China
| | - Qian Zhao
- Faculty
of Agronomy, Jilin Agricultural University, Changchun 130118, China
| | - Chunxiao Xiaoyang
- Faculty
of Agronomy, Jilin Agricultural University, Changchun 130118, China
| | - Xiujuan Lei
- College
of Chinese Medicinal Materials, Jilin Agricultural
University, Changchun 130118, China
| | - Yingping Wang
- College
of Chinese Medicinal Materials, Jilin Agricultural
University, Changchun 130118, China
| | - Yiqiao Ma
- Faculty
of Agronomy, Jilin Agricultural University, Changchun 130118, China
| | - Rongan Cao
- College
of Food Science, Heilongjiang Bayi Agricultural
University, Daqing 163319, China
| | - Xixia Song
- Institute
of Industrial Crops of Heilongjiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Haerbin 150000, China
| | - Lili Tang
- Institute
of Industrial Crops of Heilongjiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Haerbin 150000, China
| | - Michael K. Deyholos
- Department
of Biology, University of British Columbia,
Okanagan, Kelowna, BC V1V 1V7, Canada
| | - Jian Zhang
- Faculty
of Agronomy, Jilin Agricultural University, Changchun 130118, China
- Department
of Biology, University of British Columbia,
Okanagan, Kelowna, BC V1V 1V7, Canada
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Metouekel A, Badrana F, Kachkoul R, Chebaibi M, Akhazzane M, El Moussaoui A, Touil N, El Amri H, El Fahime E, El Kazzouli S, El Brahmi N. Genetic Characterization and Chemical Identification of Moroccan Cannabis sativa (L.) Seeds: Extraction, and In Vitro and In Silico Biological Evaluation. PLANTS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2024; 13:1938. [PMID: 39065465 PMCID: PMC11281279 DOI: 10.3390/plants13141938] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2023] [Revised: 01/07/2024] [Accepted: 01/11/2024] [Indexed: 07/28/2024]
Abstract
This study investigated the molecular, phytochemical, and biological aspects of ten local Moroccan traditional landrace Cannabis seeds. Genetic polymorphisms were analyzed using DNA barcode determination, revealing two distinct molecular profiles: "Cannabis, species sativa, subspecies indica" and "Cannabis, species sativa, subspecies sativa". Furthermore, a new sequence was identified by sequencing of the THCA synthase coding gene. Chemical profiling via HPLC-ESI-FULL-MS and GC-MS-MS of AMSD1 maceration extracts revealed 13 non-volatile chemicals, including 3 inactive cannabinoids and 3 polyphenols, and 24 intriguing volatile compounds, including 7 previously unreported in Cannabis seed extracts. Moreover, the in vitro/in silico analysis provision of biological activities through their antioxidant power, antimicrobial effect, and cytotoxicity potency, as well as antiviral activity, were realized. These results contribute to a thorough comprehension of Moroccan Cannabis seeds, illuminating their molecular, phytochemical, and biological features. Furthermore, they highlight the seeds as a potential source of nutritious components with antioxidant properties, offering valuable insights for future research.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Amira Metouekel
- Euromed Research Center, Euromed Faculty of Pharmacy, School of Engineering in Biomedical and Biotechnology, Euromed University of Fes (UEMF), Meknes Road, Fez 30000, Morocco;
| | - Fadwa Badrana
- Institute of Genetic Analysis of the Royal Gendarmerie in Rabat (LRAM), Ibn Sina Av., Agdal, Rabat 10040, Morocco; (F.B.)
| | - Rabie Kachkoul
- Laboratory of Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy, Sidi Mohammed Ben Abdellah University, BP 1893, Km 22, Road of Sidi Harazem, Fez 30000, Morocco;
| | - Mohamed Chebaibi
- Ministry of Health and Social Protection, Higher Institute of Nursing Professions and Health Techniques, Fez 30000, Morocco;
| | - Mohamed Akhazzane
- Faculty of Sciences Dhar El Mahraz, Sidi Mohamed Ben Abdellah University (USMBA), Fez 30000, Morocco;
| | - Abdelfattah El Moussaoui
- Plant Biotechnology Team, Faculty of Sciences, Abdelmalek Essaadi University, Tetouan 93002, Morocco;
| | - Nadia Touil
- Cell Culture Unit, Center of Virology, Infectious, and Tropical Diseases, Mohammed V Military Hospital, Rabat 10040, Morocco
| | - Hamid El Amri
- Institute of Genetic Analysis of the Royal Gendarmerie in Rabat (LRAM), Ibn Sina Av., Agdal, Rabat 10040, Morocco; (F.B.)
| | - Elmostafa El Fahime
- National Center for Scientific and Technical Research (CNRST), Angle Avenues des FAR and Allal El Fassi, Hay Ryad, Rabat 10102, Morocco
| | - Saïd El Kazzouli
- Euromed Research Center, Euromed Faculty of Pharmacy, School of Engineering in Biomedical and Biotechnology, Euromed University of Fes (UEMF), Meknes Road, Fez 30000, Morocco;
| | - Nabil El Brahmi
- Euromed Research Center, Euromed Faculty of Pharmacy, School of Engineering in Biomedical and Biotechnology, Euromed University of Fes (UEMF), Meknes Road, Fez 30000, Morocco;
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Zhou W, Ding W, Wu X, Sun J, Bai W. Microbial synthesis of anthocyanins and pyranoanthocyanins: current bottlenecks and potential solutions. Crit Rev Food Sci Nutr 2024:1-18. [PMID: 38935054 DOI: 10.1080/10408398.2024.2369703] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/28/2024]
Abstract
Anthocyanins (ACNs) are secondary metabolites found in plants. Due to their impressive biological activities, ACNs have gained significant popularity and extensive application within the food, pharmaceutical, and nutraceutical industries. A derivative of ACNs: pyranoanthocyanins (PACNs) possesses more stable properties and interesting biological activities. However, conventional methods for the production of ACNs, including chemical synthesis and plant extraction, involve organic solvents. Microbial synthesis of ACNs from renewable biomass, such as amino acids or flavonoids, is considered a sustainable and environmentally friendly method for large-scale production of ACNs. Recently, the construction of microbial cell factories (MCFs) for the efficient biosynthesis of ACNs and PACNs has attracted much attention. In this review, we summarize the cases of microbial synthesis of ACNs, and analyze the bottlenecks in reconstructing the metabolic pathways for synthesizing PACNs in microorganisms. Consequently, there is an urgent need to investigate the mechanisms behind the development of MCFs for PACNs synthesis. Such research also holds significant promise for advancing the production of food pigments. Meanwhile, we propose potential solutions to the bottleneck problem based on metabolic engineering and enzyme engineering. Finally, the development prospects of natural food and biotechnology are discussed.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Weijie Zhou
- Department of Food Science and Engineering, Institute of Food Safety and Nutrition, Guangdong Engineering Technology Center of Food Safety Molecular Rapid Detection, Jinan University, Guangdong, China
| | - Weiqiu Ding
- Institute of Microbial Biotechnology, Jinan University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Xingyuan Wu
- Department of Food Science and Engineering, Institute of Food Safety and Nutrition, Guangdong Engineering Technology Center of Food Safety Molecular Rapid Detection, Jinan University, Guangdong, China
| | - Jianxia Sun
- Department of Food Science and Engineering, School of Chemical Engineering and Light Industry, Guangdong University of Technology, Guangdong, China
| | - Weibin Bai
- Department of Food Science and Engineering, Institute of Food Safety and Nutrition, Guangdong Engineering Technology Center of Food Safety Molecular Rapid Detection, Jinan University, Guangdong, China
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Ding Q, Guo N, Gao L, McKee M, Wu D, Yang J, Fan J, Weng JK, Lei X. The evolutionary origin of naturally occurring intermolecular Diels-Alderases from Morus alba. Nat Commun 2024; 15:2492. [PMID: 38509059 PMCID: PMC10954736 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-46845-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2023] [Accepted: 03/12/2024] [Indexed: 03/22/2024] Open
Abstract
Biosynthetic enzymes evolutionarily gain novel functions, thereby expanding the structural diversity of natural products to the benefit of host organisms. Diels-Alderases (DAs), functionally unique enzymes catalysing [4 + 2] cycloaddition reactions, have received considerable research interest. However, their evolutionary mechanisms remain obscure. Here, we investigate the evolutionary origins of the intermolecular DAs in the biosynthesis of Moraceae plant-derived Diels-Alder-type secondary metabolites. Our findings suggest that these DAs have evolved from an ancestor functioning as a flavin adenine dinucleotide (FAD)-dependent oxidocyclase (OC), which catalyses the oxidative cyclisation reactions of isoprenoid-substituted phenolic compounds. Through crystal structure determination, computational calculations, and site-directed mutagenesis experiments, we identified several critical substitutions, including S348L, A357L, D389E and H418R that alter the substrate-binding mode and enable the OCs to gain intermolecular DA activity during evolution. This work provides mechanistic insights into the evolutionary rationale of DAs and paves the way for mining and engineering new DAs from other protein families.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Qi Ding
- School of Life Science, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China
- Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, Key Laboratory of Bioorganic Chemistry and Molecular Engineering of Ministry of Education, College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China
| | - Nianxin Guo
- Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, Key Laboratory of Bioorganic Chemistry and Molecular Engineering of Ministry of Education, College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China
- Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China
- Academy for Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China
| | - Lei Gao
- Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, Key Laboratory of Bioorganic Chemistry and Molecular Engineering of Ministry of Education, College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China.
| | - Michelle McKee
- Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, Cambridge, MA, 02142, USA
| | - Dongshan Wu
- Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, Key Laboratory of Bioorganic Chemistry and Molecular Engineering of Ministry of Education, College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China
| | - Jun Yang
- Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, Key Laboratory of Bioorganic Chemistry and Molecular Engineering of Ministry of Education, College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China
- Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China
| | - Junping Fan
- Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, Key Laboratory of Bioorganic Chemistry and Molecular Engineering of Ministry of Education, College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China
| | - Jing-Ke Weng
- Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, Cambridge, MA, 02142, USA
- Institute for Plant-Human Interface, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, 02120, USA
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology and Department of Bioengineering, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, 02120, USA
| | - Xiaoguang Lei
- Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, Key Laboratory of Bioorganic Chemistry and Molecular Engineering of Ministry of Education, College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China.
- Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China.
- Academy for Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China.
- Institute for Cancer Research, Shenzhen Bay Laboratory, Shenzhen, 518107, China.
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Schmidt C, Aras M, Kayser O. Engineering cannabinoid production in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Biotechnol J 2024; 19:e2300507. [PMID: 38403455 DOI: 10.1002/biot.202300507] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2023] [Revised: 01/11/2024] [Accepted: 01/12/2024] [Indexed: 02/27/2024]
Abstract
Phytocannabinoids are natural products with highly interesting pharmacological properties mainly produced by plants. The production of cannabinoids in a heterologous host system has gained interest in recent years as a promising alternative to production from plant material. However, the systems reported so far do not achieve industrially relevant titers, highlighting the need for alternative systems. Here, we show the production of the cannabinoids cannabigerolic acid and cannabigerol from glucose and hexanoic acid in a heterologous yeast system using the aromatic prenyltransferase NphB from Streptomyces sp. strain CL190. The production was significantly increased by introducing a fusion protein consisting of ERG20WW and NphB. Furthermore, we improved the production of the precursor olivetolic acid to a titer of 56 mg L-1 . The implementation of the cannabinoid synthase genes enabled the production of Δ9 -tetrahydrocannabinolic acid, cannabidiolic acid as well as cannabichromenic acid, where the heterologous biosynthesis of cannabichromenic acid in a yeast system was demonstrated for the first time. In addition, we found that the product spectrum of the cannabinoid synthases localized to the vacuoles of the yeast cells was highly dependent on extracellular pH, allowing for easy manipulation. Finally, using a fed-batch approach, we showed cannabigerolic acid and olivetolic acid titers of up to 18.2 mg L-1 and 117 mg L-1 , respectively.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Christina Schmidt
- Technical Biochemistry Laboratory, Faculty of Biochemical and Chemical Engineering, TU Dortmund University, Dortmund, Germany
| | - Marco Aras
- Technical Biochemistry Laboratory, Faculty of Biochemical and Chemical Engineering, TU Dortmund University, Dortmund, Germany
| | - Oliver Kayser
- Technical Biochemistry Laboratory, Faculty of Biochemical and Chemical Engineering, TU Dortmund University, Dortmund, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Olofsson JK, Tyler T, Dunning LT, Hjertson M, Rühling Å, Hansen AJ. Morphological and genetic evidence suggest gene flow among native and naturalized mint species. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF BOTANY 2024; 111:e16280. [PMID: 38334273 DOI: 10.1002/ajb2.16280] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2023] [Revised: 12/13/2023] [Accepted: 12/13/2023] [Indexed: 02/10/2024]
Abstract
PREMISE Cultivation and naturalization of plants beyond their natural range can bring previously geographically isolated taxa together, increasing the opportunity for hybridization, the outcomes of which are not predictable. Here, we explored the phenotypic and genomic effects of interspecific gene flow following the widespread cultivation of Mentha spicata (spearmint), M. longifolia, and M. suaveolens. METHODS We morphologically evaluated 155 herbarium specimens of three Mentha species and sequenced the genomes of a subset of 93 specimens. We analyzed the whole genomes in a population and the phylogenetic framework and associated genomic classifications in conjunction with the morphological assessments. RESULTS The allopolyploid M. spicata, which likely evolved in cultivation, had altered trichome characters, that is possibly a product of human selection for a more palatable plant or a byproduct of selection for essential oils. There were signs of genetic admixture between mints, including allopolyploids, indicating that the reproductive barriers between Mentha species with differences in ploidy are likely incomplete. Still, despite gene flow between species, we found that genetic variants associated with the cultivated trichome morphology continue to segregate. CONCLUSIONS Although hybridization, allopolyploidization, and human selection during cultivation can increase species richness (e.g., by forming hybrid taxa), we showed that unless reproductive barriers are strong, these processes can also result in mixing of genes between species and the potential loss of natural biodiversity.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jill K Olofsson
- Section for GeoGenetics, Globe Institute, University of Copenhagen, Øster Voldgade 5-7, Copenhagen, DK-1350, Denmark
| | - Torbjörn Tyler
- Department of Biology, The Biological Museum, Lund University, Box 117, SE-221 00, Lund, Sweden
| | - Luke T Dunning
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, School of Biosciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, S10 2TN, Western Bank, UK
| | - Mats Hjertson
- Museum of Evolution, Botany, Uppsala University, Norbyvägen 16, SE-752 36, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Åke Rühling
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, School of Biosciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, S10 2TN, Western Bank, UK
- Biological Museum, Gyllings väg 9, SE-572 36 Oskarshamn, Sverige
| | - Anders J Hansen
- Section for GeoGenetics, Globe Institute, University of Copenhagen, Øster Voldgade 5-7, Copenhagen, DK-1350, Denmark
- Center for Evolutionary Hologenomics, Globe Institute, University of Copenhagen, Øster Farimagsgade 5, Copenhagen K, 1353, Denmark
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Tanaya R, Kodama T, Lee YE, Yasuno Y, Shinada T, Takahashi H, Ito T, Morita H, Awale S, Taura F. Catalytic Potential of Cannabis Prenyltransferase to Expand Cannabinoid Scaffold Diversity. Org Lett 2023; 25:8601-8605. [PMID: 38010421 DOI: 10.1021/acs.orglett.3c03410] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2023]
Abstract
Biologically active cannabinoids are derived from cannabigerolic acid (CBGA), which is biosynthesized by aromatic prenyltransferase CsPT4. We exploit the catalytic versatility of CsPT4 to synthesize various CBGA analogues, including a geranylated bibenzyl acid, the precursor to bibenzyl cannabinoids of liverwort origin. The synthesized natural and new-to-nature cannabinoids exhibit potent cytotoxicity in human pancreatic cancer cells. CsPT4 can artificially extend the cannabinoid biosynthetic diversity with novel and improved biological activities.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ryosuke Tanaya
- Institute of Natural Medicine, University of Toyama, Sugitani, Toyama 930-0194, Japan
| | - Takeshi Kodama
- Institute of Natural Medicine, University of Toyama, Sugitani, Toyama 930-0194, Japan
| | - Yuan-E Lee
- Institute of Natural Medicine, University of Toyama, Sugitani, Toyama 930-0194, Japan
| | - Yoko Yasuno
- Graduate School of Science, Osaka City University, Sumiyoshi, Osaka 558-8585, Japan
| | - Tetsuro Shinada
- Graduate School of Science, Osaka City University, Sumiyoshi, Osaka 558-8585, Japan
| | - Hironobu Takahashi
- Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Tokushima Bunri University, Yamashiro-cho, Tokushima 770-8514, Japan
| | - Takuya Ito
- Faculty of Pharmacy, Osaka Ohtani University, Tondabayashi, Osaka 584-8540, Japan
| | - Hiroyuki Morita
- Institute of Natural Medicine, University of Toyama, Sugitani, Toyama 930-0194, Japan
| | - Suresh Awale
- Institute of Natural Medicine, University of Toyama, Sugitani, Toyama 930-0194, Japan
| | - Futoshi Taura
- School of Pharmacy, Iwate Medical University, Yahaba, Iwate 028-3694, Japan
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Bolaños-Martínez OC, Malla A, Rosales-Mendoza S, Vimolmangkang S. Harnessing the advances of genetic engineering in microalgae for the production of cannabinoids. Crit Rev Biotechnol 2023; 43:823-834. [PMID: 35762029 DOI: 10.1080/07388551.2022.2071672] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2021] [Revised: 03/24/2022] [Accepted: 04/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
Cannabis is widely recognized as a medicinal plant owing to bioactive cannabinoids. However, it is still considered a narcotic plant, making it hard to be accessed. Since the biosynthetic pathway of cannabinoids is disclosed, biotechnological methods can be employed to produce cannabinoids in heterologous systems. This would pave the way toward biosynthesizing any cannabinoid compound of interest, especially minor substances that are less produced by a plant but have a high medicinal value. In this context, microalgae have attracted increasing scientific interest given their unique potential for biopharmaceutical production. In the present review, the current knowledge on cannabinoid production in different hosts is summarized and the biotechnological potential of microalgae as an emerging platform for synthetic production is put in perspective. A critical survey of genetic requirements and various transformation approaches are also discussed.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Omayra C Bolaños-Martínez
- Department of Pharmacognosy and Pharmaceutical Botany, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand
- Center of Excellence in Plant-Produced Pharmaceuticals, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Ashwini Malla
- Department of Pharmacognosy and Pharmaceutical Botany, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand
- Center of Excellence in Plant-Produced Pharmaceuticals, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Sergio Rosales-Mendoza
- Laboratorio de Biofarmacéuticos Recombinantes, Facultad de Ciencias Químicas, Universidad Autónoma de San Luis Potosí, San Luis Potosí, Mexico
- Sección de Biotecnología, Centro de Investigación en Ciencias de la Salud y Biomedicina, Universidad Autónoma de San Luis Potosí, San Luis Potosí, Mexico
| | - Sornkanok Vimolmangkang
- Department of Pharmacognosy and Pharmaceutical Botany, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand
- Center of Excellence in Plant-Produced Pharmaceuticals, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
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.
Collapse
|
10
|
Kosalková K, Barreiro C, Sánchez-Orejas IC, Cueto L, García-Estrada C. Biotechnological Fungal Platforms for the Production of Biosynthetic Cannabinoids. J Fungi (Basel) 2023; 9:jof9020234. [PMID: 36836348 PMCID: PMC9963667 DOI: 10.3390/jof9020234] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2023] [Revised: 02/07/2023] [Accepted: 02/07/2023] [Indexed: 02/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Cannabinoids are bioactive meroterpenoids comprising prenylated polyketide molecules that can modulate a wide range of physiological processes. Cannabinoids have been shown to possess various medical/therapeutic effects, such as anti-convulsive, anti-anxiety, anti-psychotic, antinausea, and anti-microbial properties. The increasing interest in their beneficial effects and application as clinically useful drugs has promoted the development of heterologous biosynthetic platforms for the industrial production of these compounds. This approach can help circumvent the drawbacks associated with extraction from naturally occurring plants or chemical synthesis. In this review, we provide an overview of the fungal platforms developed by genetic engineering for the biosynthetic production of cannabinoids. Different yeast species, such as Komagataella phaffii (formerly P. pastoris) and Saccharomyces cerevisiae, have been genetically modified to include the cannabinoid biosynthetic pathway and to improve metabolic fluxes in order to increase cannabinoid titers. In addition, we engineered the filamentous fungus Penicillium chrysogenum for the first time as a host microorganism for the production of Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinolic acid from intermediates (cannabigerolic acid and olivetolic acid), thereby showing the potential of filamentous fungi as alternative platforms for cannabinoid biosynthesis upon optimization.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Katarina Kosalková
- INBIOTEC (Instituto de Biotecnología de León), Av. Real 1, 24006 León, Spain
| | - Carlos Barreiro
- INBIOTEC (Instituto de Biotecnología de León), Av. Real 1, 24006 León, Spain
- Área de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular, Departamento de Biología Molecular, Campus de Vegazana, Universidad de León, 24007 León, Spain
| | | | - Laura Cueto
- INBIOTEC (Instituto de Biotecnología de León), Av. Real 1, 24006 León, Spain
| | - Carlos García-Estrada
- INBIOTEC (Instituto de Biotecnología de León), Av. Real 1, 24006 León, Spain
- Departamento de Ciencias Biomédicas, Campus de Vegazana, Universidad de León, 24007 León, Spain
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +34-987-293-693
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Gloerfelt-Tarp F, Hewavitharana AK, Mieog J, Palmer WM, Fraser F, Ansari O, Kretzschmar T. Using a global diversity panel of Cannabis sativa L. to develop a near InfraRed-based chemometric application for cannabinoid quantification. Sci Rep 2023; 13:2253. [PMID: 36755037 PMCID: PMC9908977 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-29148-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2022] [Accepted: 01/31/2023] [Indexed: 02/10/2023] Open
Abstract
C. sativa has gained renewed interest as a cash crop for food, fibre and medicinal markets. Irrespective of the final product, rigorous quantitative testing for cannabinoids, the regulated biologically active constituents of C. sativa, is a legal prerequisite across the supply chains. Currently, the medicinal cannabis and industrial hemp industries depend on costly chromatographic analysis for cannabinoid quantification, limiting production, research and development. Combined with chemometrics, Near-InfraRed spectroscopy (NIRS) has potential as a rapid, accurate and economical alternative method for cannabinoid analysis. Using chromatographic data on 12 therapeutically relevant cannabinoids together with spectral output from a diffuse reflectance NIRS device, predictive chemometric models were built for major and minor cannabinoids using dried, homogenised C. sativa inflorescences from a diverse panel of 84 accessions. Coefficients of determination (r2) of the validation models for 10 of the 12 cannabinoids ranged from 0.8 to 0.95, with models for major cannabinoids showing best performance. NIRS was able to discriminate between neutral and acidic forms of cannabinoids as well as between C3-alkyl and C5-alkyl cannabinoids. The results show that NIRS, when used in conjunction with chemometrics, is a promising method to quantify cannabinoids in raw materials with good predictive results.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Jos Mieog
- Southern Cross University, Lismore, NSW, 2480, Australia
| | - William M Palmer
- Research Division, Rapid Phenotyping (Hone), Newcastle, NSW, 2300, Australia
| | - Felicity Fraser
- Research Division, Rapid Phenotyping (Hone), Newcastle, NSW, 2300, Australia
| | - Omid Ansari
- Ecofibre Ltd, Virginia, QLD, 4014, Australia.,Hemp GenTech, Fig Tree Pocket, QLD, 4069, Australia
| | | |
Collapse
|
12
|
Current status and future prospects in cannabinoid production through in vitro culture and synthetic biology. Biotechnol Adv 2023; 62:108074. [PMID: 36481387 DOI: 10.1016/j.biotechadv.2022.108074] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 29.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2022] [Revised: 10/27/2022] [Accepted: 11/30/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
For centuries, cannabis has been a rich source of fibrous, pharmaceutical, and recreational ingredients. Phytocannabinoids are the most important and well-known class of cannabis-derived secondary metabolites and display a broad range of health-promoting and psychoactive effects. The unique characteristics of phytocannabinoids (e.g., metabolite likeness, multi-target spectrum, and safety profile) have resulted in the development and approval of several cannabis-derived drugs. While most work has focused on the two main cannabinoids produced in the plant, over 150 unique cannabinoids have been identified. To meet the rapidly growing phytocannabinoid demand, particularly many of the minor cannabinoids found in low amounts in planta, biotechnology offers promising alternatives for biosynthesis through in vitro culture and heterologous systems. In recent years, the engineered production of phytocannabinoids has been obtained through synthetic biology both in vitro (cell suspension culture and hairy root culture) and heterologous systems. However, there are still several bottlenecks (e.g., the complexity of the cannabinoid biosynthetic pathway and optimizing the bioprocess), hampering biosynthesis and scaling up the biotechnological process. The current study reviews recent advances related to in vitro culture-mediated cannabinoid production. Additionally, an integrated overview of promising conventional approaches to cannabinoid production is presented. Progress toward cannabinoid production in heterologous systems and possible avenues for avoiding autotoxicity are also reviewed and highlighted. Machine learning is then introduced as a powerful tool to model, and optimize bioprocesses related to cannabinoid production. Finally, regulation and manipulation of the cannabinoid biosynthetic pathway using CRISPR- mediated metabolic engineering is discussed.
Collapse
|
13
|
Improved protein glycosylation enabled heterologous biosynthesis of monoterpenoid indole alkaloids and their unnatural derivatives in yeast. Metab Eng Commun 2022; 16:e00215. [PMID: 36569379 PMCID: PMC9772838 DOI: 10.1016/j.mec.2022.e00215] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2022] [Revised: 11/29/2022] [Accepted: 12/03/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
With over 3000 reported structures, monoterpenoid indole alkaloids (MIAs) constitute one of the largest alkaloid groups in nature, including the clinically important anticancer drug vinblastine and its semi-synthetic derivatives from Catharanthus roseus (Madagascar's periwinkle). With the elucidation of the complete 28-step biosynthesis for anhydrovinblastine, it is possible to investigate the heterologous production of vinblastine and other medicinal MIAs. In this study, we successfully expressed the flavoenzyme O-acetylstemmadenine oxidase in Saccharomyces cerevisiae (baker's yeast) by signal peptide modification, which is a vinblastine biosynthetic gene that has not been functionally expressed in this system. We also reported the simultaneous integration of ∼18 kb MIA biosynthetic gene cassettes as single copies into four genomic loci of baker's yeast by CRISPR-Cas9, which enabled the biosynthesis of vinblastine precursors catharanthine and tabersonine from the feedstocks secologanin and tryptamine. We further demonstrated the biosynthesis of fluorinated and hydroxylated catharanthine and tabersonine derivatives using our yeasts, which showed that the MIA biosynthesis accommodates unnatural substrates, and the system can be further explored to produce other complex MIAs.
Collapse
|
14
|
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.
Collapse
|
15
|
Kim AL, Yun YJ, Choi HW, Hong CH, Shim HJ, Lee JH, Kim YC. Profiling Cannabinoid Contents and Expression Levels of Corresponding Biosynthetic Genes in Commercial Cannabis ( Cannabis sativa L.) Cultivars. PLANTS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2022; 11:plants11223088. [PMID: 36432817 PMCID: PMC9697443 DOI: 10.3390/plants11223088] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2022] [Revised: 11/11/2022] [Accepted: 11/11/2022] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
Cannabis (Cannabis sativa L.) is widely cultivated and studied for its psychoactive and medicinal properties. As the major cannabinoids are present in acidic forms in Cannabis plants, non-enzymatic processes, such as decarboxylation, are crucial for their conversion to neutral active cannabinoid forms. Herein, we detected the levels of cannabidivarin (CBDV), cannabidiol (CBD), cannabichromene (CBC), and Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (Δ9-THC) in the leaves and vegetative shoots of five commercial Cannabis cultivars using a combination of relatively simple extraction, decarboxylation, and high-performance liquid chromatography analyses. The CBDV, CBC, and Δ9-THC levels were 6.3-114.9, 34.4-187.2, and 57.6-407.4 μg/g, respectively, and the CBD levels were the highest, ranging between 1.2-8.9 μg/g in leaf and vegetative shoot tissues of Cannabis cultivars. Additionally, correlations were observed between cannabinoid accumulation and transcription levels of genes encoding key enzymes for cannabinoid biosynthesis, including CsCBGAS, CsCBDAS, CsCBCAS, and CsTHCAS. These data suggest that the high accumulation of cannabinoids, such as CBC, Δ9-THC, and CBD, might be derived from the transcriptional regulation of CsCBGAS and CsCBDAS in Cannabis plants.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ae Lim Kim
- Division of Life Sciences, Jeonbuk National University, 567 Baekje-daero, Deokjin-gu, Jeonju 54896, Jeollabuk-do, Korea
- School of Pharmacy, Jeonbuk National University, 567 Baekje-daero, Deokjin-gu, Jeonju 54896, Jeollabuk-do, Korea
| | - Young Jae Yun
- Division of Life Sciences, Jeonbuk National University, 567 Baekje-daero, Deokjin-gu, Jeonju 54896, Jeollabuk-do, Korea
| | - Hyong Woo Choi
- Department of Plant Medicals, Andong National University, 1375 Gyeongdong-ro, Andong-si 39729, Gyeongsangbuk-do, Korea
| | - Chang-Hee Hong
- LED Agri-Bio Fusion Technology Research Center, Jeonbuk National University Specialized Campus, 79 Gobong-ro, Iksan 54596, Jeollabuk-do, Korea
| | - Hyun Joo Shim
- School of Pharmacy, Jeonbuk National University, 567 Baekje-daero, Deokjin-gu, Jeonju 54896, Jeollabuk-do, Korea
| | - Jeong Hwan Lee
- Division of Life Sciences, Jeonbuk National University, 567 Baekje-daero, Deokjin-gu, Jeonju 54896, Jeollabuk-do, Korea
| | - Young-Cheon Kim
- Division of Life Sciences, Jeonbuk National University, 567 Baekje-daero, Deokjin-gu, Jeonju 54896, Jeollabuk-do, Korea
| |
Collapse
|
16
|
Wiles D, Shanbhag BK, O'Brien M, Doblin MS, Bacic A, Beddoe T. Heterologous production of Cannabis sativa-derived specialised metabolites of medicinal significance - Insights into engineering strategies. PHYTOCHEMISTRY 2022; 203:113380. [PMID: 36049526 DOI: 10.1016/j.phytochem.2022.113380] [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: 08/08/2022] [Accepted: 08/14/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Cannabis sativa L. has been known for at least 2000 years as a source of important, medically significant specialised metabolites and several bio-active molecules have been enriched from multiple chemotypes. However, due to the many levels of complexity in both the commercial cultivation of cannabis and extraction of its specialised metabolites, several heterologous production approaches are being pursued in parallel. In this review, we outline the recent achievements in engineering strategies used for heterologous production of cannabinoids, terpenes and flavonoids along with their strength and weakness. We provide an overview of the specialised metabolism pathway in C. sativa and a comprehensive list of the specialised metabolites produced along with their medicinal significance. We highlight cannabinoid-like molecules produced by other species. We discuss the key biosynthetic enzymes and their heterologous production using various hosts such as microbial and eukaryotic systems. A brief discussion on complementary production strategies using co-culturing and cell-free systems is described. Various approaches to optimise specialised metabolite production through co-expression, enzyme engineering and pathway engineering are discussed. We derive insights from recent advances in metabolic engineering of hosts with improved precursor supply and suggest their application for the production of C. sativa speciality metabolites. We present a collation of non-conventional hosts with speciality traits that can improve the feasibility of commercial heterologous production of cannabis-based specialised metabolites. We provide a perspective of emerging research in synthetic biology, allied analytical techniques and plant heterologous platforms as focus areas for heterologous production of cannabis specialised metabolites in the future.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Danielle Wiles
- Department of Animal, Plant and Soil Sciences and AgriBio Centre for AgriBioscience, School of Agriculture, Biomedicine and Environment, La Trobe University, Bundoora, Victoria, 3083, Australia; Australian Research Council Research Hub for Medicinal Agriculture, AgriBio Centre for AgriBioscience, La Trobe University, Bundoora, VIC, 3086, Australia
| | - Bhuvana K Shanbhag
- Department of Animal, Plant and Soil Sciences and AgriBio Centre for AgriBioscience, School of Agriculture, Biomedicine and Environment, La Trobe University, Bundoora, Victoria, 3083, Australia; Australian Research Council Research Hub for Medicinal Agriculture, AgriBio Centre for AgriBioscience, La Trobe University, Bundoora, VIC, 3086, Australia
| | - Martin O'Brien
- Department of Animal, Plant and Soil Sciences and AgriBio Centre for AgriBioscience, School of Agriculture, Biomedicine and Environment, La Trobe University, Bundoora, Victoria, 3083, Australia; Australian Research Council Research Hub for Medicinal Agriculture, AgriBio Centre for AgriBioscience, La Trobe University, Bundoora, VIC, 3086, Australia
| | - Monika S Doblin
- Department of Animal, Plant and Soil Sciences and AgriBio Centre for AgriBioscience, School of Agriculture, Biomedicine and Environment, La Trobe University, Bundoora, Victoria, 3083, Australia; Australian Research Council Research Hub for Medicinal Agriculture, AgriBio Centre for AgriBioscience, La Trobe University, Bundoora, VIC, 3086, Australia; La Trobe Institute for Agriculture & Food, Department of Animal, Plant and Soil Science, AgriBio Centre for AgriBioscience, La Trobe University, Bundoora, VIC, Australia
| | - Antony Bacic
- Department of Animal, Plant and Soil Sciences and AgriBio Centre for AgriBioscience, School of Agriculture, Biomedicine and Environment, La Trobe University, Bundoora, Victoria, 3083, Australia; Australian Research Council Research Hub for Medicinal Agriculture, AgriBio Centre for AgriBioscience, La Trobe University, Bundoora, VIC, 3086, Australia; La Trobe Institute for Agriculture & Food, Department of Animal, Plant and Soil Science, AgriBio Centre for AgriBioscience, La Trobe University, Bundoora, VIC, Australia
| | - Travis Beddoe
- Department of Animal, Plant and Soil Sciences and AgriBio Centre for AgriBioscience, School of Agriculture, Biomedicine and Environment, La Trobe University, Bundoora, Victoria, 3083, Australia; Australian Research Council Research Hub for Medicinal Agriculture, AgriBio Centre for AgriBioscience, La Trobe University, Bundoora, VIC, 3086, Australia.
| |
Collapse
|
17
|
WANG M, ZHANG W, WANG N. Covalent flavoproteins: types, occurrence, biogenesis and catalytic mechanisms. Chin J Nat Med 2022; 20:749-760. [DOI: 10.1016/s1875-5364(22)60194-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
|
18
|
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.
Collapse
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.
| |
Collapse
|
19
|
Busta L, Dweikat I, Sato SJ, Qu H, Xue Y, Zhou B, Gan L, Yu B, Clemente TE, Cahoon EB, Zhang C. Chemical and genetic variation in feral Cannabis sativa populations across the Nebraska climate gradient. PHYTOCHEMISTRY 2022; 200:113206. [PMID: 35436478 DOI: 10.1016/j.phytochem.2022.113206] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2021] [Revised: 04/07/2022] [Accepted: 04/08/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Cannabis sativa is a versatile crop that can be cultivated for fiber, seed, or phytochemicals. To take advantage of this versatility and the potential of Cannabis as a feedstock for the bioeconomy, genomics-enabled breeding programs must be strengthened and expanded. This work contributes to the foundation for such by investigating the phytochemistry and genomics of feral Cannabis populations collected from seventeen counties across the climate gradient of Nebraska. Flower tissue from male and female plants (28 total) was studied using (i) gas chromatography-mass spectrometry to assess cannabinoid profiles and (ii) RNA sequencing to determine transcript abundances. Both male and female flower tissues produced cannabinoids, and, though the compounds were more abundant in female flower tissue, the primary cannabinoid in both was usually cannabidiol. The expression of genes that mediate early steps on the cannabinoid biosynthetic pathway were upregulated in female relative to male flowers, suggesting that female versus male flower tissue cannabinoid abundance may be controlled at least in part at the transcriptional level. DNA sequencing was used to place feral Cannabis plants from Nebraska into a previously described genomic context, revealing that all the plants studied here are much more similar to previously characterized hemp-type Cannabis plants than to drug-type Cannabis plants, at least at the genetic level. This work provides foundational phytochemical knowledge and a large set of high-quality single nucleotide polymorphism markers for future studies of feral Nebraska Cannabis.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Lucas Busta
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, NE 68588, USA; Department of Agronomy and Horticulture, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, NE 68583, USA
| | - Ismail Dweikat
- Department of Agronomy and Horticulture, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, NE 68583, USA
| | - Shirley J Sato
- Department of Agronomy and Horticulture, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, NE 68583, USA
| | - Haolin Qu
- Center for Plant Science Innovation, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, NE 68588, USA; School of Biological Sciences, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, NE 68588, USA
| | - Yong Xue
- Center for Plant Science Innovation, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, NE 68588, USA; School of Biological Sciences, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, NE 68588, USA
| | - Bangjun Zhou
- Center for Plant Science Innovation, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, NE 68588, USA; School of Biological Sciences, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, NE 68588, USA
| | - Lu Gan
- Center for Plant Science Innovation, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, NE 68588, USA; School of Biological Sciences, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, NE 68588, USA
| | - Bin Yu
- Center for Plant Science Innovation, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, NE 68588, USA; School of Biological Sciences, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, NE 68588, USA
| | - Thomas E Clemente
- Department of Agronomy and Horticulture, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, NE 68583, USA
| | - Edgar B Cahoon
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, NE 68588, USA; Center for Plant Science Innovation, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, NE 68588, USA
| | - Chi Zhang
- Center for Plant Science Innovation, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, NE 68588, USA; School of Biological Sciences, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, NE 68588, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
20
|
Livingston SJ, Rensing KH, Page JE, Samuels AL. A polarized supercell produces specialized metabolites in cannabis trichomes. Curr Biol 2022; 32:4040-4047.e4. [PMID: 35917819 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2022.07.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2022] [Revised: 06/23/2022] [Accepted: 07/07/2022] [Indexed: 10/16/2022]
Abstract
For centuries, humans have cultivated cannabis for the pharmacological properties that result from consuming its specialized metabolites, primarily cannabinoids and terpenoids. Today, cannabis is a multi-billion-dollar industry whose existence rests on the biological activity of tiny cell clusters, called glandular trichomes, found mainly on flowers. Cannabinoids are toxic to cannabis cells,1 and how the trichome cells can produce and secrete massive quantities of lipophilic metabolites is not known.1 To address this gap in knowledge, we investigated cannabis glandular trichomes using ultra-rapid cryofixation, quantitative electron microscopy, and immuno-gold labeling of cannabinoid pathway enzymes. We demonstrate that the metabolically active cells in cannabis form a "supercell," with extensive cytoplasmic bridges across the cell walls and a polar distribution of organelles adjacent to the apical surface where metabolites are secreted. The predicted metabolic role of the non-photosynthetic plastids is supported by unusual membrane arrays in the plastids and the localization of the start of the cannabinoid/terpene pathway in the stroma of the plastids. Abundant membrane contact sites connected plastid paracrystalline cores with the plastid envelope, plastid with endoplasmic reticulum (ER), and ER with plasma membrane. The final step of cannabinoid biosynthesis, catalyzed by tetrahydrocannabinolic acid synthase (THCAS), was localized in the cell-surface wall facing the extracellular storage cavity. We propose a new model of how the cannabis cells can support abundant metabolite production, with emphasis on the key role of membrane contact sites and extracellular THCA biosynthesis. This new model can inform synthetic biology approaches for cannabinoid production in yeast or cell cultures.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Samuel J Livingston
- Department of Botany, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada.
| | | | - Jonathan E Page
- Department of Botany, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - A Lacey Samuels
- Department of Botany, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada.
| |
Collapse
|
21
|
Comparative Transcriptome Analysis Reveals Coordinated Transcriptional Regulation of Central and Secondary Metabolism in the Trichomes of Cannabis Cultivars. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23158310. [PMID: 35955443 PMCID: PMC9368916 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23158310] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2022] [Revised: 06/24/2022] [Accepted: 07/20/2022] [Indexed: 12/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Cannabis is one of the few plant genera capable of producing cannabinoids, the effects of which are synergized by terpene interactions. As the biosynthesis of both metabolite classes requires the same intracellular feedstocks, this work describes the coordinated regulation of global metabolic pathways that allows for their joint copious production in vivo. To this end, a transcriptomics-based approach to characterize the glandular trichomes of five Cannabis cultivars was pursued. Besides revealing metabolic traits that enhanced and proportionated the supply of critical carbon precursors, in-depth analysis showed significantly increased gene expression of two particular enzymes to meet the huge nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH) demand of secondary metabolite production. Furthermore, it led to a hypothesis that the methyl-d-erythritol 4-phosphate pathway might be utilized more than the mevalonic acid pathway in Cannabis trichomes. While both pathways were found to be activated in a modular and calibrated way that reflected their broad participation in physiological processes, the genes for hexanoate, cannabinoid, and terpene biosynthesis were, in contrast, up-regulated in an en bloc and multi-loci manner due to their specific roles in secondary metabolite production. In addition, three new terpene synthases were characterized based on both in silico and experimental assays. Altogether, the study enhances the current understanding of secondary metabolite production in Cannabis cultivars, which may assist in their characterization and development.
Collapse
|
22
|
Roman MG, Cheng YC, Kerrigan S, Houston R. Evaluation of tetrahydrocannabinolic acid (THCA) synthase polymorphisms for distinguishing between marijuana and hemp. J Forensic Sci 2022; 67:1370-1381. [PMID: 35416290 DOI: 10.1111/1556-4029.15045] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2022] [Revised: 03/28/2022] [Accepted: 03/30/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
The Controlled Substances Act (CSA) classifies marijuana (Cannabis sativa) as a Schedule I illicit drug. However, the recent Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 (U.S. Farm Bill) removed hemp from the definition of marijuana in the CSA, making it a legal crop. As a result, many hemp products are now available, including strains of hemp buds high in other cannabinoids such as cannabidiol (CBD) or cannabigerol (CBG). The genetic inheritance of chemical phenotype (chemotype) has been widely studied, with the tetrahydrocannabinolic acid (THCA) synthase gene at the forefront. Previous studies have speculated that there are two forms of the THCA gene, one that produces an active enzyme (present in marijuana) and one that cannot produce a functional enzyme (present in hemp). A DNA analysis method is desirable for determining crop type in sample types inconducive to chemical analysis, such as immature crops, trace residues, small leaf fragments, seeds, and root material. This study optimized and evaluated a previously reported single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) assay for determining C. sativa crop type. Furthermore, the presence or absence of 15 cannabinoids, including THC and THCA, was reported in cannabis reference materials and 15 legal hemp flower samples. The SNP assay correctly identified crop type in most samples. However, several marijuana samples were classified as hemp, and several hemp seeds were classified as marijuana. Two strains of legal CBG hemp flowers were also classified as marijuana, indicating that factors other than the genetic variation of the THCA synthase gene should be considered when determining crop type.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Madeline G Roman
- Department of Forensic Science, College of Criminal Justice, Sam Houston State University, Huntsville, Texas, USA
| | - Ya-Chih Cheng
- Department of Forensic Science, College of Criminal Justice, Sam Houston State University, Huntsville, Texas, USA
| | - Sarah Kerrigan
- Department of Forensic Science, College of Criminal Justice, Sam Houston State University, Huntsville, Texas, USA
| | - Rachel Houston
- Department of Forensic Science, College of Criminal Justice, Sam Houston State University, Huntsville, Texas, USA
| |
Collapse
|
23
|
Al-Harrasi A, Behl T, Upadhyay T, Chigurupati S, Bhatt S, Sehgal A, Bhatia S, Singh S, Sharma N, Vijayabalan S, Palanimuthu VR, Das S, Kaur R, Aleya L, Bungau S. Targeting natural products against SARS-CoV-2. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2022; 29:42404-42432. [PMID: 35362883 PMCID: PMC8972763 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-022-19770-2] [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: 09/01/2021] [Accepted: 03/13/2022] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
The human coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic is caused by a novel coronavirus; the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2). Natural products, secondary metabolites show positive leads with antiviral and immunotherapy treatments using genomic studies in silico docking. In addition, it includes the action of a mechanism targeting the SARS-CoV-2. In this literature, we aimed to evaluate the antiviral movement of the NT-VRL-1 unique terpene definition to Human coronavirus (HCoV-229E). The effects of 19 hydrolysable tannins on the SARS-CoV-2 were therefore theoretically reviewed and analyzed utilising the molecular operating surroundings for their C-Like protease 3CLpro catalytic dyad residues Angiotensin converting enzyme-2 (MOE 09). Pedunculagin, tercatan, and castalin were detected as interacting strongly with SARS-receptor Cov-2's binding site and catalytic dyad (Cys145 and His41). SARS-CoV-2 methods of subunit S1 (ACE2) inhibit the interaction of the receiver with the s-protein once a drug molecule is coupled to the s-protein and prevent it from infecting the target cells in alkaloids. Our review strongly demonstrates the evidence that natural compounds and their derivatives can be used against the human coronavirus and serves as an area of research for future perspective.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ahmed Al-Harrasi
- Natural & Medical Sciences Research Center, University of Nizwa, Birkat Al Mawz, Oman
| | - Tapan Behl
- Chitkara College of Pharmacy, Chitkara University, Punjab, India.
| | - Tanuj Upadhyay
- Amity Institute of Pharmacy, Amity University, Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh, India
| | - Sridevi Chigurupati
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry and Pharmacognosy, College of Pharmacy, Qassim University, Buraidah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
| | - Shvetank Bhatt
- Amity Institute of Pharmacy, Amity University, Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh, India
| | - Aayush Sehgal
- Chitkara College of Pharmacy, Chitkara University, Punjab, India
| | - Saurabh Bhatia
- Natural & Medical Sciences Research Center, University of Nizwa, Birkat Al Mawz, Oman
- School of Health Science, University of Petroleum and Energy Studies, Dehradun, Uttarakhand, India
| | - Sukhbir Singh
- Chitkara College of Pharmacy, Chitkara University, Punjab, India
| | - Neelam Sharma
- Chitkara College of Pharmacy, Chitkara University, Punjab, India
| | - Shantini Vijayabalan
- Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, School of Pharmacy, Taylor's University, Subang Jaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Vasanth Raj Palanimuthu
- Department of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, JSS College of Pharmacy, JSS Academy of Higher Education & Research, Ooty, Nilgiris, Tamilnadu, India
| | - Suprava Das
- Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, AIMST University, Semeling, Bedong, Kedah, Malaysia
| | - Rajwinder Kaur
- Chitkara College of Pharmacy, Chitkara University, Punjab, India
| | - Lotfi Aleya
- Chrono-Environment Laboratory, UMR CNRS 6249, Bourgogne Franche-Comté University, Besançon, France
| | - Simona Bungau
- Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy, University of Oradea, Oradea, Romania
| |
Collapse
|
24
|
Understanding Cannabis sativa L.: Current Status of Propagation, Use, Legalization, and Haploid-Inducer-Mediated Genetic Engineering. PLANTS 2022; 11:plants11091236. [PMID: 35567237 PMCID: PMC9104644 DOI: 10.3390/plants11091236] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2022] [Revised: 04/12/2022] [Accepted: 04/28/2022] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
Cannabis sativa L. is an illegal plant in many countries. The worldwide criminalization of the plant has for many years limited its research. Consequently, understanding the full scope of its benefits and harm became limited too. However, in recent years the world has witnessed an increased pace in legalization and decriminalization of C. sativa. This has prompted an increase in scientific studies on various aspects of the plant’s growth, development, and use. This review brings together the historical and current information about the plant’s relationship with mankind. We highlight the important aspects of C. sativa classification and identification, carefully analyzing the supporting arguments for both monotypic (single species) and polytypic (multiple species) perspectives. The review also identifies recent studies on suitable conditions and methods for C. sativa propagation as well as highlighting the diverse uses of the plant. Specifically, we describe the beneficial and harmful effects of the prominent phytocannabinoids and provide status of the studies on heterologous synthesis of phytocannabinoids in different biological systems. With a historical view on C. sativa legality, the review also provides an up-to-date worldwide standpoint on its regulation. Finally, we present a summary of the studies on genome editing and suggest areas for future research.
Collapse
|
25
|
Wenger T, Watanabe K, Sasaki Y, Kanazawa K, Shimizu K, Sirikantaramas S, Shoyama Y, Taura F, Morimoto S, Shoyama Y. Overview of Cannabis including Kampo Medicine and Therapy for Treatment of Dementia: A Review. Front Pharmacol 2022; 12:713228. [PMID: 35342387 PMCID: PMC8942766 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2021.713228] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2021] [Accepted: 12/21/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Cannabis sativa L. is an annual herb oldest cultivated plants as a source of fiber since about 5000 B.C. On the other hand, the cannabis flower and seed are listed in Shennong's classic Materia Medica approximately 2000 years ago. The formulas prescribed with cannabis in Kampo medicine have been summarized. Cannabidiol (CBD) and tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) are the major neurological and psychiatric cannabinoids, and develop to drugs. It becomes evident that the therapeutic CBD and/or THC are the important candidate of anti-dementia drugs having different mechanism for Alzheimer's patients. Two receptors and endocannabinoids are also discussed for underlying mechanism of action. In order to promote the breeding of cannabis plant containing higher concentration of target cannabinoid the biosynthetic enzymes were isolated, cloning and the tertiary structure of THCA synthase determined by x-ray analysis resulting in the possibility of molecular breeding for cannabinoids.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Tibor Wenger
- Department of Anatomy, Histology and Embryology, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary
| | | | - Yui Sasaki
- Association for Health Economics Research and Social Insurance and Welfare, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Keiko Kanazawa
- Association for Health Economics Research and Social Insurance and Welfare, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Koichi Shimizu
- Association for Health Economics Research and Social Insurance and Welfare, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Supaart Sirikantaramas
- Molecular Crop Research Unit, Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Science, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | | | - Futoshi Taura
- Faculty of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Science, Toyama, Japan
| | | | - Yukihiro Shoyama
- Faculty of Pharmacy, Nagasaki International University, Nagasaki, Japan
| |
Collapse
|
26
|
Purdy TN, Moore BS, Lukowski AL. Harnessing ortho-Quinone Methides in Natural Product Biosynthesis and Biocatalysis. JOURNAL OF NATURAL PRODUCTS 2022; 85:688-701. [PMID: 35108487 PMCID: PMC9006567 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jnatprod.1c01026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Abstract
The implementation of ortho-quinone methide (o-QM) intermediates in complex molecule assembly represents a remarkably efficient strategy designed by Nature and utilized by synthetic chemists. o-QMs have been taken advantage of in biomimetic syntheses for decades, yet relatively few examples of o-QM-generating enzymes in natural product biosynthetic pathways have been reported. The biosynthetic enzymes that have been discovered thus far exhibit tremendous potential for biocatalytic applications, enabling the selective production of desirable compounds that are otherwise intractable or inherently difficult to achieve by traditional synthetic methods. Characterization of this biosynthetic machinery has the potential to shine a light on new enzymes capable of similar chemistry on diverse substrates, thus expanding our knowledge of Nature's catalytic repertoire. The presently known o-QM-generating enzymes include flavin-dependent oxidases, hetero-Diels-Alderases, S-adenosyl-l-methionine-dependent pericyclases, and α-ketoglutarate-dependent nonheme iron enzymes. In this review, we discuss their diverse enzymatic mechanisms and potential as biocatalysts in constructing natural product molecules such as cannabinoids.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Trevor N Purdy
- Center for Marine Biotechnology and Biomedicine, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, La Jolla, California 92093, United States
| | - Bradley S Moore
- Center for Marine Biotechnology and Biomedicine, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, La Jolla, California 92093, United States
- Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California at San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093, United States
| | - April L Lukowski
- Center for Marine Biotechnology and Biomedicine, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, La Jolla, California 92093, United States
| |
Collapse
|
27
|
AL Ubeed HMS, Wills RBH, Chandrapala J. Post-Harvest Operations to Generate High-Quality Medicinal Cannabis Products: A Systemic Review. Molecules 2022; 27:1719. [PMID: 35268820 PMCID: PMC8911901 DOI: 10.3390/molecules27051719] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2022] [Revised: 03/03/2022] [Accepted: 03/04/2022] [Indexed: 01/30/2023] Open
Abstract
The traditional Cannabis plant as a medicinal crop has been explored for many thousands of years. The Cannabis industry is rapidly growing; therefore, optimising drying methods and producing high-quality medical products have been a hot topic in recent years. We systemically analysed the current literature and drew a critical summary of the drying methods implemented thus far to preserve the quality of bioactive compounds from medicinal Cannabis. Different drying techniques have been one of the focal points during the post-harvesting operations, as drying preserves these Cannabis products with increased shelf life. We followed or even highlighted the most popular methods used. Drying methods have advanced from traditional hot air and oven drying methods to microwave-assisted hot air drying or freeze-drying. In this review, traditional and modern drying technologies are reviewed. Each technology will have different pros and cons of its own. Moreover, this review outlines the quality of the Cannabis plant component harvested plays a major role in drying efficiency and preserving the chemical constituents. The emergence of medical Cannabis, and cannabinoid research requires optimal post-harvesting processes for different Cannabis strains. We proposed the most suitable method for drying medicinal Cannabis to produce consistent, reliable and potent medicinal Cannabis. In addition, drying temperature, rate of drying, mode and storage conditions after drying influenced the Cannabis component retention and quality.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Hebah Muhsien Sabiah AL Ubeed
- School of Science, College of Sciences, Engineering, Computing Technologies and Health and Medical Sciences, RMIT University, Bundoora, Melbourne, VIC 3083, Australia;
| | - Ronald B. H. Wills
- School of Environmental and Life Sciences, University of Newcastle, Ourimbah, NSW 2258, Australia;
| | - Jayani Chandrapala
- School of Science, College of Sciences, Engineering, Computing Technologies and Health and Medical Sciences, RMIT University, Bundoora, Melbourne, VIC 3083, Australia;
| |
Collapse
|
28
|
Adamek K, Jones AMP, Torkamaneh D. Accumulation of somatic mutations leads to genetic mosaicism in cannabis. THE PLANT GENOME 2022; 15:e20169. [PMID: 34806848 DOI: 10.1002/tpg2.20169] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2021] [Accepted: 09/22/2021] [Indexed: 05/22/2023]
Abstract
Cannabis (Cannabis sativa L.) is typically propagated using stem cuttings taken from mother plants to produce genetically uniform propagules. However, producers anecdotally report that clonal lines deteriorate over time and eventually produce clones with less vigor and lower cannabinoid levels than the original mother plant. While the cause of this deterioration has not been investigated, one potential contributor is the accumulation of somatic mutations within the plant. To test this, we used deep sequencing of whole genomes (>50×) to compare the variability within an individual cannabis cultivar Honey Banana plant sampled at the bottom, middle, and top. We called over six million sequence variants based on a reference genome and found that the top had the most by a sizable amount. Comparing the variants among the samples uncovered that nearly 600,000 (34%) were unique to the top while the bottom only contained 148,000 (12%), and middle with 77,000 (9%) unique variants. Bioinformatics tools were used to identify mutations in critical cannabinoid-terpene biosynthesis pathways. While none were identified as high impact, four genes contained more than double the average level of nucleotide diversity (π) in or near the gene. Two genes code for essential enzymes required for the cannabinoid pathway while the other two are in the terpene pathways, demonstrating that mutations were accumulating within these pathways and could influence their function. Overall, a measurable number of intraplant genetic diversity was discovered that could impact long-term genetic fidelity of clonal lines and potentially contribute to the observed decline in vigor and cannabinoid content.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kristian Adamek
- Dep. of Plant Agriculture, Univ. of Guelph, Guelph, ON, N1G 2W1, Canada
| | | | | |
Collapse
|
29
|
Converting Sugars into Cannabinoids—The State-of-the-Art of Heterologous Production in Microorganisms. FERMENTATION 2022. [DOI: 10.3390/fermentation8020084] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The legal cannabis market worldwide is facing new challenges regarding innovation in the production of cannabinoid-based drugs. The usual cannabinoid production involves growing Cannabis sativa L. outdoor or in dedicated indoor growing facilities, followed by isolation and purification steps. This process is limited by the growth cycles of the plant, where the cannabinoid content can deeply vary from each harvest. A game change approach that does not involve growing a single plant has gained the attention of the industry: cannabinoids fermentation. From recombinant yeasts and bacteria, researchers are able to reproduce the biosynthetic pathway to generate cannabinoids, such as (-)-Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (Δ9-THC), cannabidiol (CBD), and (-)-Δ9-tetrahydrocannabivarin (Δ9-THCV). This approach avoids pesticides, and natural resources such as water, land, and energy are reduced. Compared to growing cannabis, fermentation is a much faster process, although its limitation regarding the phytochemical broad range of molecules naturally present in cannabis. So far, there is not a consolidated process for this brand-new approach, being an emerging and promising concept for countries in which cultivation of Cannabis sativa L. is illegal. This survey discusses the techniques and microorganisms already established to accomplish the task and those yet in seeing for the future, exploring upsides and limitations about metabolic pathways, toxicity, and downstream recovery of cannabinoids throughout heterologous production. Therapeutic potential applications of cannabinoids and in silico methodology toward optimization of metabolic pathways are also explored. Moreover, conceptual downstream analysis is proposed to illustrate the recovery and purification of cannabinoids through the fermentation process, and a patent landscape is presented to provide the state-of-the-art of the transfer of knowledge from the scientific sphere to the industrial application.
Collapse
|
30
|
Aktuelle Trends des Cannabiskonsums. Rechtsmedizin (Berl) 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s00194-022-00560-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
Zusammenfassung
Hintergrund
Cannabis ist weltweit immer noch die am häufigsten konsumierte illegale Droge, aber auch der Einsatz von Medizinalcannabis oder auch als Lebens‑/Nahrungsergänzungsmittel steigt stetig. Somit sind Kenntnisse über diese verschiedenen Produkte und die Komplexität der rechtlichen Einordnung von Cannabis für die Rechtsmedizin und die forensische Toxikologie von großer Relevanz.
Fragestellung
Ziel der Arbeit ist es, einen Überblick über aktuelle Trends des Cannabiskonsums zu geben und hierbei die verschiedenen Cannabisprodukte darzustellen sowie diese rechtlich einzuordnen.
Material und Methode
Für diese Übersichtarbeit wurde eine Literaturrecherche zu den verschiedenen Cannabisprodukten und ihrer rechtlichen Einordnung durchgeführt.
Ergebnisse
Beim Konsum von Tetrahydrocannabinol(THC)-reichem Cannabis zu Rauschzwecken ist ein Trend hin zu immer höheren THC-Gehalten im Pflanzenmaterial und zusätzlich zu intensiven Konsumformen wie dem „dabbing“ von Butan-Haschisch-Öl zu erkennen. Seit der Betäubungsmittelgesetzesänderung vom 10.03.2017 werden auch Cannabisblüten und -extrakte mit unterschiedlichen THC- bzw. Cannabidiol(CBD)-Gehalten auf Betäubungsmittelrezept stark zunehmend verordnet, einhergehend mit einer Steigerung der THC-Höchstverschreibungsmenge. Ein weiterer Trend besteht in dem Konsum von sogenannten CBD-Lifestyle-Produkten, die als Arzneimittel seit 2016 verschreibungspflichtig sind und als Lebensmittel nach Novel Food-Verordnung jeweils einzeln zu prüfen sind, ob sie als zulassungsbedürftiges neuartiges Lebensmittel einzustufen sind.
Schlussfolgerungen
Insgesamt ergibt sich für die forensisch-chemische sowie forensisch-toxikologische Beurteilung eine zunehmende Komplexität der potenziell konsumierten THC-haltigen Produkte, deren wissenschaftliche Untersuchung sowohl zur möglichen Differenzierbarkeit des Cannabismaterials als auch von biologischen Matrices nach Konsum verschiedener Cannabisprodukte notwendig macht.
Collapse
|
31
|
Pattnaik F, Nanda S, Mohanty S, Dalai AK, Kumar V, Ponnusamy SK, Naik S. Cannabis: Chemistry, extraction and therapeutic applications. CHEMOSPHERE 2022; 289:133012. [PMID: 34838836 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2021.133012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2021] [Revised: 11/01/2021] [Accepted: 11/18/2021] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
Cannabis, a genus of perennial indigenous plants is well known for its recreational and medicinal activities. Cannabis and its derivatives have potential therapeutic activities to treat epilepsy, anxiety, depression, tumors, cancer, Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, to name a few. This article reviews some recent literature on the bioactive constituents of Cannabis, commonly known as phytocannabinoids, their interactions with the different cannabinoids and non-cannabinoid receptors as well as the significances of these interactions in treating various diseases and syndromes. The biochemistry of some notable cannabinoids such as tetrahydrocannabinol, cannabidiol, cannabinol, cannabigerol, cannabichromene and their carboxylic acid derivatives is explained in the context of therapeutic activities. The medicinal features of Cannabis-derived terpenes are elucidated for treating several neuro and non-neuro disorders. Different extraction techniques to recover cannabinoids are systematically discussed. Besides the medicinal activities, the traditional and recreational utilities of Cannabis and its derivatives are presented. A brief note on the legalization of Cannabis-derived products is provided. This review provides comprehensive knowledge about the medicinal properties, recreational usage, extraction techniques, legalization and some prospects of cannabinoids and terpenes extracted from Cannabis.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Falguni Pattnaik
- Centre for Rural Development and Technology, Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, New Delhi, India; Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada
| | - Sonil Nanda
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada
| | | | - Ajay K Dalai
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada.
| | - Vivek Kumar
- Centre for Rural Development and Technology, Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, New Delhi, India
| | - Senthil Kumar Ponnusamy
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Sri Sivasubramaniya Nadar College of Engineering, Kalavakkam, Tamil Nadu, India
| | - Satyanarayan Naik
- Centre for Rural Development and Technology, Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, New Delhi, India
| |
Collapse
|
32
|
Mostafaei Dehnavi M, Ebadi A, Peirovi A, Taylor G, Salami SA. THC and CBD Fingerprinting of an Elite Cannabis Collection from Iran: Quantifying Diversity to Underpin Future Cannabis Breeding. PLANTS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2022; 11:plants11010129. [PMID: 35009133 PMCID: PMC8747537 DOI: 10.3390/plants11010129] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2021] [Revised: 12/14/2021] [Accepted: 12/16/2021] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
Cannabis (Cannabis sativa L.) has a rich history of human use, and the therapeutic importance of compounds produced by this species is recognized by the medical community. The active constituents of cannabis, collectively called cannabinoids, encompass hundreds of distinct molecules, the most well-characterized of which are tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD), which have been used for centuries as recreational drugs and medicinal agents. As a first step to establish a cannabis breeding program, we initiated this study to describe the HPLC-measured quantity of THC and CBD biochemistry profiles of 161 feral pistillate cannabis plants from 20 geographical regions of Iran. Our data showed that Iran can be considered a new region of high potential for distribution of cannabis landraces with diverse THC and CBD content, predominantly falling into three groups, as Type I = THC-predominant, Type II = approximately equal proportions of THC and CBD (both CBD and THC in a ratio close to the unity), and Type III = CBD-predominant. Correlation analysis among two target cannabinoids and environmental and geographical variables indicated that both THC and CBD contents were strongly influenced by several environmental-geographical factors, such that THC and CBD contents were positively correlated with mean, min and max annual temperature and negatively correlated with latitude, elevation, and humidity. Additionally, a negative correlation was observed between THC and CBD concentrations, suggesting that further studies to unravel these genotype × environment interactions (G × E interactions) are warranted. The results of this study provide important pre-breeding information on a collection of cannabis that will underpin future breeding programs.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mahboubeh Mostafaei Dehnavi
- Department of Horticultural Sciences, Faculty of Engineering and Agricultural Science, University of Tehran, Karaj 31587-77871, Iran; (M.M.D.); (A.E.)
| | - Ali Ebadi
- Department of Horticultural Sciences, Faculty of Engineering and Agricultural Science, University of Tehran, Karaj 31587-77871, Iran; (M.M.D.); (A.E.)
| | - Afshin Peirovi
- CIAN Diagnostics, 5330 Spectrum Drive, Suite I, Frederick, MD 21703, USA;
| | - Gail Taylor
- Department of Plant Sciences, University of California Davis, Davis, CA 95616, USA
- Correspondence: (G.T.); (S.A.S.); Tel.: +1-530-752-9165 (G.T.); +98-2632248721 (S.A.S.)
| | - Seyed Alireza Salami
- Department of Horticultural Sciences, Faculty of Engineering and Agricultural Science, University of Tehran, Karaj 31587-77871, Iran; (M.M.D.); (A.E.)
- Industrial and Medical Cannabis Research Institute (IMCRI), Tehran 14176-14411, Iran
- Correspondence: (G.T.); (S.A.S.); Tel.: +1-530-752-9165 (G.T.); +98-2632248721 (S.A.S.)
| |
Collapse
|
33
|
Fulvio F, Paris R, Montanari M, Citti C, Cilento V, Bassolino L, Moschella A, Alberti I, Pecchioni N, Cannazza G, Mandolino G. Analysis of Sequence Variability and Transcriptional Profile of Cannabinoid synthase Genes in Cannabis sativa L. Chemotypes with a Focus on Cannabichromenic acid synthase. PLANTS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2021; 10:1857. [PMID: 34579390 PMCID: PMC8466818 DOI: 10.3390/plants10091857] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2021] [Revised: 09/03/2021] [Accepted: 09/06/2021] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
Cannabis sativa L. has been long cultivated for its narcotic potential due to the accumulation of tetrahydrocannabinolic acid (THCA) in female inflorescences, but nowadays its production for fiber, seeds, edible oil and bioactive compounds has spread throughout the world. However, some hemp varieties still accumulate traces of residual THCA close to the 0.20% limit set by European Union, despite the functional gene encoding for THCA synthase (THCAS) is lacking. Even if some hypotheses have been produced, studies are often in disagreement especially on the role of the cannabichromenic acid synthase (CBCAS). In this work a set of European Cannabis genotypes, representative of all chemotypes, were investigated from a chemical and molecular point of view. Highly specific primer pairs were developed to allow an accurate distinction of different cannabinoid synthases genes. In addition to their use as markers to detect the presence of CBCAS at genomic level, they allowed the analysis of transcriptional profiles in hemp or marijuana plants. While the high level of transcription of THCAS and cannabidiolic acid synthase (CBDAS) clearly reflects the chemical phenotype of the plants, the low but stable transcriptional level of CBCAS in all genotypes suggests that these genes are active and might contribute to the final amount of cannabinoids.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Flavia Fulvio
- CREA—Research Centre for Cereal and Industrial Crops, Via di Corticella 133, 40128 Bologna, Italy; (F.F.); (M.M.); (V.C.); (L.B.); (A.M.); (G.M.)
- Department of Sciences of Agriculture, Food Natural Resources and Engineering, University of Foggia, Via Napoli 25, 71122 Foggia, Italy
| | - Roberta Paris
- CREA—Research Centre for Cereal and Industrial Crops, Via di Corticella 133, 40128 Bologna, Italy; (F.F.); (M.M.); (V.C.); (L.B.); (A.M.); (G.M.)
| | - Massimo Montanari
- CREA—Research Centre for Cereal and Industrial Crops, Via di Corticella 133, 40128 Bologna, Italy; (F.F.); (M.M.); (V.C.); (L.B.); (A.M.); (G.M.)
| | - Cinzia Citti
- CNR NANOTEC—Institute of Nanotechnology, Via Monteroni, 73100 Lecce, Italy; (C.C.); (G.C.)
- Department of Life Science, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Via G. Campi 103, 41125 Modena, Italy
| | - Vincenzo Cilento
- CREA—Research Centre for Cereal and Industrial Crops, Via di Corticella 133, 40128 Bologna, Italy; (F.F.); (M.M.); (V.C.); (L.B.); (A.M.); (G.M.)
| | - Laura Bassolino
- CREA—Research Centre for Cereal and Industrial Crops, Via di Corticella 133, 40128 Bologna, Italy; (F.F.); (M.M.); (V.C.); (L.B.); (A.M.); (G.M.)
| | - Anna Moschella
- CREA—Research Centre for Cereal and Industrial Crops, Via di Corticella 133, 40128 Bologna, Italy; (F.F.); (M.M.); (V.C.); (L.B.); (A.M.); (G.M.)
| | - Ilaria Alberti
- CREA—Research Centre for Cereal and Industrial Crops, Via G. Amendola 82, 45100 Rovigo, Italy;
| | - Nicola Pecchioni
- CREA—Research Centre for Cereal and Industrial Crops, S.S. 673 Km 25,200, 71122 Foggia, Italy;
| | - Giuseppe Cannazza
- CNR NANOTEC—Institute of Nanotechnology, Via Monteroni, 73100 Lecce, Italy; (C.C.); (G.C.)
- Department of Life Science, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Via G. Campi 103, 41125 Modena, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Mandolino
- CREA—Research Centre for Cereal and Industrial Crops, Via di Corticella 133, 40128 Bologna, Italy; (F.F.); (M.M.); (V.C.); (L.B.); (A.M.); (G.M.)
| |
Collapse
|
34
|
Eggers R, Jammer A, Jha S, Kerschbaumer B, Lahham M, Strandback E, Toplak M, Wallner S, Winkler A, Macheroux P. The scope of flavin-dependent reactions and processes in the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana. PHYTOCHEMISTRY 2021; 189:112822. [PMID: 34118767 DOI: 10.1016/j.phytochem.2021.112822] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2021] [Revised: 05/23/2021] [Accepted: 05/24/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Flavin mononucleotide (FMN) and flavin adenine dinucleotide (FAD) are utilized as coenzymes in many biochemical reduction-oxidation reactions owing to the ability of the tricyclic isoalloxazine ring system to employ the oxidized, radical and reduced state. We have analyzed the genome of Arabidopsis thaliana to establish an inventory of genes encoding flavin-dependent enzymes (flavoenzymes) as a basis to explore the range of flavin-dependent biochemical reactions that occur in this model plant. Expectedly, flavoenzymes catalyze many pivotal reactions in primary catabolism, which are connected to the degradation of basic metabolites, such as fatty and amino acids as well as carbohydrates and purines. On the other hand, flavoenzymes play diverse roles in anabolic reactions most notably the biosynthesis of amino acids as well as the biosynthesis of pyrimidines and sterols. Importantly, the role of flavoenzymes goes much beyond these basic reactions and extends into pathways that are equally crucial for plant life, for example the production of natural products. In this context, we outline the participation of flavoenzymes in the biosynthesis and maintenance of cofactors, coenzymes and accessory plant pigments (e. g. carotenoids) as well as phytohormones. Moreover, several multigene families have emerged as important components of plant immunity, for example the family of berberine bridge enzyme-like enzymes, flavin-dependent monooxygenases and NADPH oxidases. Furthermore, the versatility of flavoenzymes is highlighted by their role in reactions leading to tRNA-modifications, chromatin regulation and cellular redox homeostasis. The favorable photochemical properties of the flavin chromophore are exploited by photoreceptors to govern crucial processes of plant adaptation and development. Finally, a sequence- and structure-based approach was undertaken to gain insight into the catalytic role of uncharacterized flavoenzymes indicating their involvement in unknown biochemical reactions and pathways in A. thaliana.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Reinmar Eggers
- Institute of Biochemistry, Graz University of Technology, Petersgasse 12/2, 8010, Graz, Austria
| | - Alexandra Jammer
- Institute of Biochemistry, Graz University of Technology, Petersgasse 12/2, 8010, Graz, Austria
| | - Shalinee Jha
- Institute of Biochemistry, Graz University of Technology, Petersgasse 12/2, 8010, Graz, Austria
| | - Bianca Kerschbaumer
- Institute of Biochemistry, Graz University of Technology, Petersgasse 12/2, 8010, Graz, Austria
| | - Majd Lahham
- Institute of Biochemistry, Graz University of Technology, Petersgasse 12/2, 8010, Graz, Austria
| | - Emilia Strandback
- Institute of Biochemistry, Graz University of Technology, Petersgasse 12/2, 8010, Graz, Austria
| | - Marina Toplak
- Institute of Biochemistry, Graz University of Technology, Petersgasse 12/2, 8010, Graz, Austria
| | - Silvia Wallner
- Institute of Biochemistry, Graz University of Technology, Petersgasse 12/2, 8010, Graz, Austria
| | - Andreas Winkler
- Institute of Biochemistry, Graz University of Technology, Petersgasse 12/2, 8010, Graz, Austria
| | - Peter Macheroux
- Institute of Biochemistry, Graz University of Technology, Petersgasse 12/2, 8010, Graz, Austria.
| |
Collapse
|
35
|
van Velzen R, Schranz ME. Origin and Evolution of the Cannabinoid Oxidocyclase Gene Family. Genome Biol Evol 2021; 13:evab130. [PMID: 34100927 PMCID: PMC8521752 DOI: 10.1093/gbe/evab130] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 06/04/2021] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Cannabis is an ancient crop representing a rapidly increasing legal market, especially for medicinal purposes. Medicinal and psychoactive effects of Cannabis rely on specific terpenophenolic ligands named cannabinoids. Recent whole-genome sequencing efforts have uncovered variation in multiple genes encoding the final steps in cannabinoid biosynthesis. However, the origin, evolution, and phylogenetic relationships of these cannabinoid oxidocyclase genes remain unclear. To elucidate these aspects, we performed comparative genomic analyses of Cannabis, related genera within the Cannabaceae family, and selected outgroup species. Results show that cannabinoid oxidocyclase genes originated in the Cannabis lineage from within a larger gene expansion in the Cannabaceae family. Localization and divergence of oxidocyclase genes in the Cannabis genome revealed two main syntenic blocks, each comprising tandemly repeated cannabinoid oxidocyclase genes. By comparing these blocks with those in genomes from closely related species, we propose an evolutionary model for the origin, neofunctionalization, duplication, and diversification of cannabinoid oxidocycloase genes. Based on phylogenetic analyses, we propose a comprehensive classification of three main clades and seven subclades that are intended to aid unequivocal referencing and identification of cannabinoid oxidocyclase genes. Our data suggest that cannabinoid phenotype is primarily determined by the presence/absence of single-copy genes. Although wild populations of Cannabis are still unknown, increased sampling of landraces and wild/feral populations across its native geographic range is likely to uncover additional cannabinoid oxidocyclase sequence variants.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Robin van Velzen
- Plant Sciences, Biosystematics Group, Wageningen University, Wageningen, The Netherlands
- Bedrocan International, Veendam, The Netherlands
| | - M Eric Schranz
- Plant Sciences, Biosystematics Group, Wageningen University, Wageningen, The Netherlands
| |
Collapse
|
36
|
Anderson SL, Pearson B, Kjelgren R, Brym Z. Response of essential oil hemp (Cannabis sativa L.) growth, biomass, and cannabinoid profiles to varying fertigation rates. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0252985. [PMID: 34324496 PMCID: PMC8320997 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0252985] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2021] [Accepted: 05/26/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Five essential oil hemp (Cannabis sativa L.) cultivars (Cherry Blossom, Cherry Blossom (Tuan), Berry Blossom, Cherry Wine, and Cherry Blossom × Trump) were treated with six fertigation treatments to quantify the effects of synthetic fertilizer rates and irrigation electrical conductivity on plant growth, biomass accumulation, and cannabinoid profiles. Irrigation water was injected with a commercial 20-20-20 fertilizer at rates of 0, 50, 150, 300, 450, and 600 ppm nitrogen equating to 0.33 (control), 0.54, 0.96, 1.59, 2.22, and 2.85 dS m-1, respectively. Plants were grown under artificial lighting (18 hr) to maintain vegetative growth for eight weeks, followed by an eight-week flowering period. High linear relationship between chlorophyll concentrations and SPAD-502 measurements validated the utilization of SPAD meters to rapidly identify nutrient deficiency in essential oil hemp. Cultivars expressed significant variation in plant height and cannabinoid profiles (% dry mass), in concurrence with limited biomass and cannabinoid (g per plant) yield variation. Cherry Blossom was the best performing cultivar and Cherry Wine was the least productive. Variation in plant growth, biomass, and cannabinoid concentrations were affected to a greater extent by fertilizer rates. Optimal fertilizer rates were observed at 50 ppm N, while increased fertilizer rates significantly reduced plant growth, biomass accumulation, and cannabinoid concentrations. Increased fertilizer rates (> 300 ppm N) resulted in compliant THC levels (< 0.3%), although when coupled with biomass reductions resulted in minimal cannabinoid yields. Additionally, CBD concentration demonstrated higher sensitivity to increased fertilizer rates (> 300 ppm N) compared to THC and CBG (> 450 ppm N). The results of this study can serve as a guide when using fertigation methods on essential oil hemp cultivars; although results may differ with cultivar selection, environmental conditions, and management practices.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Steven L. Anderson
- Department of Environmental Horticulture, Mid-Florida Research and Education Center, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida, Apopka, Florida, United States of America
| | - Brian Pearson
- Department of Environmental Horticulture, Mid-Florida Research and Education Center, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida, Apopka, Florida, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| | - Roger Kjelgren
- Department of Environmental Horticulture, Mid-Florida Research and Education Center, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida, Apopka, Florida, United States of America
| | - Zachary Brym
- Department of Agronomy, Tropical Research and Education Center, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida, Homestead, Florida, United States of America
| |
Collapse
|
37
|
Islam MJ, Ryu BR, Azad MOK, Rahman MH, Cheong EJ, Lim JD, Lim YS. Cannabinoids Accumulation in Hemp ( Cannabis sativa L.) Plants under LED Light Spectra and Their Discrete Role as a Stress Marker. BIOLOGY 2021; 10:710. [PMID: 34439943 PMCID: PMC8389281 DOI: 10.3390/biology10080710] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2021] [Revised: 07/16/2021] [Accepted: 07/22/2021] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
Hemp adaptability through physiological and biochemical changes was studied under 10 LED light spectra and natural light in a controlled aeroponic system. Light treatments were imposed on 25 days aged seedlings for 16 h daily (300 µmol m-2 s-1) for 20 days. Plant accumulated highest Cannabidiol (CBD) in R7:B2:G1 light treatment, with relatively higher photosynthetic rate and lower reactive oxygen species, total phenol content, total flavonoid content, DPPH radical scavenging capacity, and antioxidant enzymatic activities. Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) also accumulated at a higher level in white, R8:B2, and R7:B2:G1 light with less evidence of stress-modulated substances. These results indicated that CBD and THC have no or little relation with light-mediated abiotic stress in hemp plants. On the contrary, Tetrahydrocannabinolic acid (THCA) was accumulated higher in R6:B2:G1:FR1 and R5:B2:W2:FR1 light treatment along with lower photosynthetic rate and higher reactive oxygen species, total phenol content, total flavonoid content, DPPH radical scavenging capacity, and antioxidant enzymatic activities. However, Cannabidiolic acid (CBDA) was accumulated higher in R6:B2:G1:FR1 light treatment with higher stress-modulated substances and lower physiological traits. CBDA was also accumulated higher in R8:B2 and R7:B2:G1 light treatments with less evidence of stress-modulated substances. Besides, Greenlight influenced CBD and CBDA synthesis where FR and UV-A (along with green) play a positive and negative role in this process. Overall, the results indicated that the treatment R7:B2:G1 enhanced the medicinal cannabinoids most, and the role of THCA as a stress marker is more decisive in the hemp plant than in other cannabinoids under attributed light-mediated stress.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Md. Jahirul Islam
- Department of Bio-Health Convergence, College of Biomedical Science, Kangwon National University, Chuncheon 24341, Korea; (M.J.I.); (B.R.R.); (M.O.K.A.); (M.H.R.)
- Physiology and Sugar Chemistry Division, Bangladesh Sugarcrop Research Institute, Ishurdi, Pabna 6620, Bangladesh
| | - Byeong Ryeol Ryu
- Department of Bio-Health Convergence, College of Biomedical Science, Kangwon National University, Chuncheon 24341, Korea; (M.J.I.); (B.R.R.); (M.O.K.A.); (M.H.R.)
| | - Md. Obyedul Kalam Azad
- Department of Bio-Health Convergence, College of Biomedical Science, Kangwon National University, Chuncheon 24341, Korea; (M.J.I.); (B.R.R.); (M.O.K.A.); (M.H.R.)
| | - Md. Hafizur Rahman
- Department of Bio-Health Convergence, College of Biomedical Science, Kangwon National University, Chuncheon 24341, Korea; (M.J.I.); (B.R.R.); (M.O.K.A.); (M.H.R.)
| | - Eun Ju Cheong
- Division of Forest Science, College of Forest and Environmental Sciences, Kangwon National University, Chuncheon 24341, Korea;
| | - Jung-Dae Lim
- Department of Bio-Health Convergence, College of Biomedical Science, Kangwon National University, Chuncheon 24341, Korea; (M.J.I.); (B.R.R.); (M.O.K.A.); (M.H.R.)
- Department of Herbal Medicine Resource, Kangwon National University, Samcheok 25949, Korea
| | - Young-Seok Lim
- Department of Bio-Health Convergence, College of Biomedical Science, Kangwon National University, Chuncheon 24341, Korea; (M.J.I.); (B.R.R.); (M.O.K.A.); (M.H.R.)
| |
Collapse
|
38
|
Bolchi C, Pallavicini M, Casagni E, Manincor EVD, Gambaro V, Cas MD, Roda G. Development and early identification of Cannabis chemotypes during the plant growth: current analytical and chemometric approaches. ANAL SCI 2021; 37:1665-1673. [PMID: 34305054 DOI: 10.2116/analsci.21r004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
The identification of cannabis chemotypes at an early stage of a plant's growth, which is long before anthesis, has been intensively pursued in order to control the on-target selection of the cultivar type at the beginning of cultivation, so as to avoid economic and legal drawbacks. However, this issue has been systematically addressed by only few and relatively recent studies of analytical chemistry, possibly because result validations require long-term monitoring of the content and ratio of cannabinoids and terpenes in a great number of plant specimens suitably selected and grown. Here, we review the procedures, the chromatographic techniques and the statistics used in topical investigations during the past thirteen years. Through heterogeneous and not easily comparable approaches, they prove the feasibility of chemotypes safe determination within the first month of a plant's life.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Cristiano Bolchi
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Università degli Studi di Milano
| | - Marco Pallavicini
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Università degli Studi di Milano
| | - Eleonora Casagni
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Università degli Studi di Milano
| | | | - Veniero Gambaro
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Università degli Studi di Milano
| | - Michele Dei Cas
- Department of Health Sciences, Università degli Studi di Milano
| | - Gabriella Roda
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Università degli Studi di Milano
| |
Collapse
|
39
|
Johnson MS, Wallace JG. Genomic and Chemical Diversity of Commercially Available High-CBD Industrial Hemp Accessions. Front Genet 2021; 12:682475. [PMID: 34306025 PMCID: PMC8293613 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2021.682475] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2021] [Accepted: 06/08/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
High consumer demand for cannabidiol (CBD) has made high-CBD hemp (Cannabis sativa) an extremely high-value crop. However, high demand has resulted in the industry developing faster than the research, resulting in the sale of many hemp accessions with inconsistent performance and chemical profiles. These inconsistencies cause significant economic and legal problems for growers interested in producing high-CBD hemp. To determine the genetic and phenotypic consistency in available high-CBD hemp varieties, we obtained seed or clones from 22 different named accessions meant for commercial production. Genotypes (∼48,000 SNPs) and chemical profiles (% CBD and THC by dry weight) were determined for up to 8 plants per accession. Many accessions-including several with the same name-showed little consistency either genetically or chemically. Most seed-grown accessions also deviated significantly from their purported levels of CBD and THC based on the supplied certificates of analysis. Several also showed evidence of an active tetrahydrocannabinolic acid (THCa) synthase gene, leading to unacceptably high levels of THC in female flowers. We conclude that the current market for high-CBD hemp varieties is highly unreliable, making many purchases risky for growers. We suggest options for addressing these issues, such using unique names and developing seed and plant certification programs to ensure the availability of high-quality, verified planting materials.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Matthew S. Johnson
- Institute of Plant Breeding, Genetics, and Genomics, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, United States
| | - Jason G. Wallace
- Institute of Plant Breeding, Genetics, and Genomics, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, United States
- Department of Crop and Soil Sciences, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, United States
| |
Collapse
|
40
|
Woods P, Campbell BJ, Nicodemus TJ, Cahoon EB, Mullen JL, McKay JK. Quantitative Trait Loci Controlling Agronomic and Biochemical Traits in Cannabis sativa. Genetics 2021; 219:6310019. [PMID: 34173826 PMCID: PMC9335937 DOI: 10.1093/genetics/iyab099] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2021] [Accepted: 06/15/2021] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Understanding the genetic basis of complex traits is a fundamental goal of evolutionary genetics. Yet, the genetics controlling complex traits in many important species such as hemp (Cannabis sativa) remain poorly investigated. Because hemp’s change in legal status with the 2014 and 2018 U.S. Federal Farm Bills, interest in the genetics controlling its numerous agriculturally important traits has steadily increased. To better understand the genetics of agriculturally important traits in hemp, we developed an F2 population by crossing two phenotypically distinct hemp cultivars (Carmagnola and USO31). Using whole-genome sequencing, we mapped quantitative trait loci (QTL) associated with variation in numerous agronomic and biochemical traits. A total of 69 loci associated with agronomic (34) and biochemical (35) trait variation were identified. We found that most QTL co-localized, suggesting that the phenotypic distinctions between Carmagnola and USO31 are largely controlled by a small number of loci. We identified TINY and olivetol synthase as candidate genes underlying co-localized QTL clusters for agronomic and biochemical traits, respectively. We functionally validated the olivetol synthase candidate by expressing the alleles in yeast. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry assays of extracts from these yeast colonies suggest that the USO31 olivetol synthase is functionally less active and potentially explains why USO31 produces lower cannabinoids compared to Carmagnola. Overall, our results help modernize the genomic understanding of complex traits in hemp.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Patrick Woods
- Graduate Degree Program in Ecology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, 80523, United States of America.,Department of Agricultural Biology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, 80523, United States of America
| | - Brian J Campbell
- Department of Agricultural Biology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, 80523, United States of America
| | - Timothy J Nicodemus
- Center for Plant Science Innovation and Department of Biochemistry, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, Nebraska, 68588, United States of America
| | - Edgar B Cahoon
- Center for Plant Science Innovation and Department of Biochemistry, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, Nebraska, 68588, United States of America
| | - Jack L Mullen
- Department of Agricultural Biology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, 80523, United States of America
| | - John K McKay
- Department of Agricultural Biology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, 80523, United States of America
| |
Collapse
|
41
|
Jamieson CS, Misa J, Tang Y, Billingsley JM. Biosynthesis and synthetic biology of psychoactive natural products. Chem Soc Rev 2021; 50:6950-7008. [PMID: 33908526 PMCID: PMC8217322 DOI: 10.1039/d1cs00065a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Psychoactive natural products play an integral role in the modern world. The tremendous structural complexity displayed by such molecules confers diverse biological activities of significant medicinal value and sociocultural impact. Accordingly, in the last two centuries, immense effort has been devoted towards establishing how plants, animals, and fungi synthesize complex natural products from simple metabolic precursors. The recent explosion of genomics data and molecular biology tools has enabled the identification of genes encoding proteins that catalyze individual biosynthetic steps. Once fully elucidated, the "biosynthetic pathways" are often comparable to organic syntheses in elegance and yield. Additionally, the discovery of biosynthetic enzymes provides powerful catalysts which may be repurposed for synthetic biology applications, or implemented with chemoenzymatic synthetic approaches. In this review, we discuss the progress that has been made toward biosynthetic pathway elucidation amongst four classes of psychoactive natural products: hallucinogens, stimulants, cannabinoids, and opioids. Compounds of diverse biosynthetic origin - terpene, amino acid, polyketide - are identified, and notable mechanisms of key scaffold transforming steps are highlighted. We also provide a description of subsequent applications of the biosynthetic machinery, with an emphasis placed on the synthetic biology and metabolic engineering strategies enabling heterologous production.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Cooper S Jamieson
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
| | - Joshua Misa
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
| | - Yi Tang
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA. and Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
| | - John M Billingsley
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA. and Invizyne Technologies, Inc., Monrovia, CA, USA
| |
Collapse
|
42
|
Desaulniers Brousseau V, Wu BS, MacPherson S, Morello V, Lefsrud M. Cannabinoids and Terpenes: How Production of Photo-Protectants Can Be Manipulated to Enhance Cannabis sativa L. Phytochemistry. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2021; 12:620021. [PMID: 34135916 PMCID: PMC8200639 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2021.620021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2020] [Accepted: 05/07/2021] [Indexed: 05/02/2023]
Abstract
Cannabis sativa L. is cultivated for its secondary metabolites, of which the cannabinoids have documented health benefits and growing pharmaceutical potential. Recent legal cannabis production in North America and Europe has been accompanied by an increase in reported findings for optimization of naturally occurring and synthetic cannabinoid production. Of the many environmental cues that can be manipulated during plant growth in controlled environments, cannabis cultivation with different lighting spectra indicates differential production and accumulation of medically important cannabinoids, including Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (Δ9-THC), cannabidiol (CBD), and cannabigerol (CBG), as well as terpenes and flavonoids. Ultraviolet (UV) radiation shows potential in stimulating cannabinoid biosynthesis in cannabis trichomes and pre-harvest or post-harvest UV treatment merits further exploration to determine if plant secondary metabolite accumulation could be enhanced in this manner. Visible LED light can augment THC and terpene accumulation, but not CBD. Well-designed experiments with light wavelengths other than blue and red light will provide more insight into light-dependent regulatory and molecular pathways in cannabis. Lighting strategies such as subcanopy lighting and varied light spectra at different developmental stages can lower energy consumption and optimize cannabis PSM production. Although evidence demonstrates that secondary metabolites in cannabis may be modulated by the light spectrum like other plant species, several questions remain for cannabinoid production pathways in this fast-paced and growing industry. In summarizing recent research progress on light spectra and secondary metabolites in cannabis, along with pertinent light responses in model plant species, future research directions are presented.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Mark Lefsrud
- Department of Bioresource Engineering, McGill University, Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue, QC, Canada
| |
Collapse
|
43
|
Hesami M, Baiton A, Alizadeh M, Pepe M, Torkamaneh D, Jones AMP. Advances and Perspectives in Tissue Culture and Genetic Engineering of Cannabis. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:5671. [PMID: 34073522 PMCID: PMC8197860 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22115671] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2021] [Revised: 05/19/2021] [Accepted: 05/20/2021] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
For a long time, Cannabis sativa has been used for therapeutic and industrial purposes. Due to its increasing demand in medicine, recreation, and industry, there is a dire need to apply new biotechnological tools to introduce new genotypes with desirable traits and enhanced secondary metabolite production. Micropropagation, conservation, cell suspension culture, hairy root culture, polyploidy manipulation, and Agrobacterium-mediated gene transformation have been studied and used in cannabis. However, some obstacles such as the low rate of transgenic plant regeneration and low efficiency of secondary metabolite production in hairy root culture and cell suspension culture have restricted the application of these approaches in cannabis. In the current review, in vitro culture and genetic engineering methods in cannabis along with other promising techniques such as morphogenic genes, new computational approaches, clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR), CRISPR/Cas9-equipped Agrobacterium-mediated genome editing, and hairy root culture, that can help improve gene transformation and plant regeneration, as well as enhance secondary metabolite production, have been highlighted and discussed.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mohsen Hesami
- Department of Plant Agriculture, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON N1G 2W1, Canada; (M.H.); (A.B.); (M.P.)
| | - Austin Baiton
- Department of Plant Agriculture, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON N1G 2W1, Canada; (M.H.); (A.B.); (M.P.)
| | - Milad Alizadeh
- Department of Botany, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4, Canada;
| | - Marco Pepe
- Department of Plant Agriculture, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON N1G 2W1, Canada; (M.H.); (A.B.); (M.P.)
| | - Davoud Torkamaneh
- Département de Phytologie, Université Laval, Québec City, QC G1V 0A6, Canada;
| | | |
Collapse
|
44
|
Matchett-Oates L, Mohamaden E, Spangenberg GC, Cogan NOI. Development of a robust transient expression screening system in protoplasts of Cannabis. IN VITRO CELLULAR & DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY - PLANT 2021. [PMID: 0 DOI: 10.1007/s11627-021-10178-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2020] [Accepted: 03/23/2021] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
AbstractTransient expression systems in mesophyll protoplasts have been utilised in many plant species as an indispensable tool for gene function analysis and efficacious genome editing constructs. However, such a system has not been developed inCannabisdue to the recalcitrant nature of the plant to tissue culture as well as its illegal status for many years. In this study, young expanding leaves from asepticin vitro Cannabisexplants were used for protoplast isolation. Factorial designs were used to optimise variables in viable protoplast isolation and transient expression of GFP, with a range analyses performed to determine, and quantify, significantly impacting variables. Viable protoplast yields as high as 5.7 × 106were achieved with 2.5% (w/v) Cellulase R-10, 0.3% (w/v) Macerozyme R-10 and 0.7 M mannitol, incubated for 16 h. As indicated by the transient expression of GFP, efficiency reached 23.2% with 30 μg plasmid, 50% PEG, 1 × 106protoplasts and a transfection duration of 20 min. Application of the optimised protocol for protoplast isolation was successfully evaluated on three subsequent unrelated genotypes to highlight the robustness and broad applicability of the developed technique.
Collapse
|
45
|
Lim KJH, Lim YP, Hartono YD, Go MK, Fan H, Yew WS. Biosynthesis of Nature-Inspired Unnatural Cannabinoids. Molecules 2021; 26:2914. [PMID: 34068935 PMCID: PMC8156804 DOI: 10.3390/molecules26102914] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2021] [Revised: 05/11/2021] [Accepted: 05/11/2021] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Natural products make up a large proportion of medicine available today. Cannabinoids from the plant Cannabis sativa is one unique class of meroterpenoids that have shown a wide range of bioactivities and recently seen significant developments in their status as therapeutic agents for various indications. Their complex chemical structures make it difficult to chemically synthesize them in efficient yields. Synthetic biology has presented a solution to this through metabolic engineering in heterologous hosts. Through genetic manipulation, rare phytocannabinoids that are produced in low yields in the plant can now be synthesized in larger quantities for therapeutic and commercial use. Additionally, an exciting avenue of exploring new chemical spaces is made available as novel derivatized compounds can be produced and investigated for their bioactivities. In this review, we summarized the biosynthetic pathways of phytocannabinoids and synthetic biology efforts in producing them in heterologous hosts. Detailed mechanistic insights are discussed in each part of the pathway in order to explore strategies for creating novel cannabinoids. Lastly, we discussed studies conducted on biological targets such as CB1, CB2 and orphan receptors along with their affinities to these cannabinoid ligands with a view to inform upstream diversification efforts.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kevin J. H. Lim
- Synthetic Biology for Clinical and Technological Innovation, National University of Singapore, 28 Medical Drive, Singapore 117456, Singapore; (K.J.H.L.); (Y.P.L.); (Y.D.H.); (M.K.G.); (H.F.)
- Synthetic Biology Translational Research Programme, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, 14 Medical Drive, Singapore 117599, Singapore
- Department of Biochemistry, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, 8 Medical Drive, Singapore 117597, Singapore
- Bioinformatics Institute, A*STAR, 30 Biopolis Street, Matrix #07-01, Singapore 138671, Singapore
| | - Yan Ping Lim
- Synthetic Biology for Clinical and Technological Innovation, National University of Singapore, 28 Medical Drive, Singapore 117456, Singapore; (K.J.H.L.); (Y.P.L.); (Y.D.H.); (M.K.G.); (H.F.)
- Synthetic Biology Translational Research Programme, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, 14 Medical Drive, Singapore 117599, Singapore
- Department of Biochemistry, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, 8 Medical Drive, Singapore 117597, Singapore
| | - Yossa D. Hartono
- Synthetic Biology for Clinical and Technological Innovation, National University of Singapore, 28 Medical Drive, Singapore 117456, Singapore; (K.J.H.L.); (Y.P.L.); (Y.D.H.); (M.K.G.); (H.F.)
- Synthetic Biology Translational Research Programme, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, 14 Medical Drive, Singapore 117599, Singapore
- Department of Biochemistry, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, 8 Medical Drive, Singapore 117597, Singapore
- Bioinformatics Institute, A*STAR, 30 Biopolis Street, Matrix #07-01, Singapore 138671, Singapore
| | - Maybelle K. Go
- Synthetic Biology for Clinical and Technological Innovation, National University of Singapore, 28 Medical Drive, Singapore 117456, Singapore; (K.J.H.L.); (Y.P.L.); (Y.D.H.); (M.K.G.); (H.F.)
- Synthetic Biology Translational Research Programme, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, 14 Medical Drive, Singapore 117599, Singapore
- Department of Biochemistry, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, 8 Medical Drive, Singapore 117597, Singapore
| | - Hao Fan
- Synthetic Biology for Clinical and Technological Innovation, National University of Singapore, 28 Medical Drive, Singapore 117456, Singapore; (K.J.H.L.); (Y.P.L.); (Y.D.H.); (M.K.G.); (H.F.)
- Synthetic Biology Translational Research Programme, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, 14 Medical Drive, Singapore 117599, Singapore
- Bioinformatics Institute, A*STAR, 30 Biopolis Street, Matrix #07-01, Singapore 138671, Singapore
| | - Wen Shan Yew
- Synthetic Biology for Clinical and Technological Innovation, National University of Singapore, 28 Medical Drive, Singapore 117456, Singapore; (K.J.H.L.); (Y.P.L.); (Y.D.H.); (M.K.G.); (H.F.)
- Synthetic Biology Translational Research Programme, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, 14 Medical Drive, Singapore 117599, Singapore
- Department of Biochemistry, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, 8 Medical Drive, Singapore 117597, Singapore
| |
Collapse
|
46
|
Grassa CJ, Weiblen GD, Wenger JP, Dabney C, Poplawski SG, Timothy Motley S, Michael TP, Schwartz CJ. A new Cannabis genome assembly associates elevated cannabidiol (CBD) with hemp introgressed into marijuana. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2021; 230:1665-1679. [PMID: 33521943 PMCID: PMC8248131 DOI: 10.1111/nph.17243] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2020] [Accepted: 01/18/2021] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
Demand for cannabidiol (CBD), the predominant cannabinoid in hemp (Cannabis sativa), has favored cultivars producing unprecedented quantities of CBD. We investigated the ancestry of a new cultivar and cannabinoid synthase genes in relation to cannabinoid inheritance. A nanopore-based assembly anchored to a high-resolution linkage map provided a chromosome-resolved genome for CBDRx, a potent CBD-type cultivar. We measured cannabinoid synthase expression by cDNA sequencing and conducted a population genetic analysis of diverse Cannabis accessions. Quantitative trait locus mapping of cannabinoids in a hemp × marijuana segregating population was also performed. Cannabinoid synthase paralogs are arranged in tandem arrays embedded in long terminal repeat retrotransposons on chromosome 7. Although CBDRx is predominantly of marijuana ancestry, the genome has cannabidiolic acid synthase (CBDAS) introgressed from hemp and lacks a complete sequence for tetrahydrocannabinolic acid synthase (THCAS). Three additional genomes, including one with complete THCAS, confirmed this genomic structure. Only cannabidiolic acid synthase (CBDAS) was expressed in CBD-type Cannabis, while both CBDAS and THCAS were expressed in a cultivar with an intermediate tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) : CBD ratio. Although variation among cannabinoid synthase loci might affect the THC : CBD ratio, variability among cultivars in overall cannabinoid content (potency) was also associated with other chromosomes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - George D. Weiblen
- Department of Plant and Microbial BiologyUniversity of MinnesotaSaint PaulMN55108USA
| | - Jonathan P. Wenger
- Department of Plant and Microbial BiologyUniversity of MinnesotaSaint PaulMN55108USA
| | - Clemon Dabney
- Department of Plant and Microbial BiologyUniversity of MinnesotaSaint PaulMN55108USA
| | | | - S. Timothy Motley
- Department of InformaticsJ. Craig Venter InstituteLa JollaCA92037USA
| | - Todd P. Michael
- Department of InformaticsJ. Craig Venter InstituteLa JollaCA92037USA
- Present address:
Molecular and Cellular Biology LaboratorySalk Institute for Biological StudiesLa JollaCA92037USA
| | - C. J. Schwartz
- Sunrise Genetics Inc.Fort CollinsCO80525USA
- Present address:
Industrial Hemp Genetics LLCMadisonWI53705USA
| |
Collapse
|
47
|
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.
Collapse
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
| |
Collapse
|
48
|
Tahir MN, Shahbazi F, Rondeau-Gagné S, Trant JF. The biosynthesis of the cannabinoids. J Cannabis Res 2021; 3:7. [PMID: 33722296 PMCID: PMC7962319 DOI: 10.1186/s42238-021-00062-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2020] [Accepted: 02/17/2021] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Cannabis has been integral to Eurasian civilization for millennia, but a century of prohibition has limited investigation. With spreading legalization, science is pivoting to study the pharmacopeia of the cannabinoids, and a thorough understanding of their biosynthesis is required to engineer strains with specific cannabinoid profiles. This review surveys the biosynthesis and biochemistry of cannabinoids. The pathways and the enzymes' mechanisms of action are discussed as is the non-enzymatic decarboxylation of the cannabinoic acids. There are still many gaps in our knowledge about the biosynthesis of the cannabinoids, especially for the minor components, and this review highlights the tools and approaches that will be applied to generate an improved understanding and consequent access to these potentially biomedically-relevant materials.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- M Nazir Tahir
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Windsor, 401 Sunset Avenue, Windsor, Ontario, N9B 3P4, Canada
| | - Fred Shahbazi
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Windsor, 401 Sunset Avenue, Windsor, Ontario, N9B 3P4, Canada
| | - Simon Rondeau-Gagné
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Windsor, 401 Sunset Avenue, Windsor, Ontario, N9B 3P4, Canada.
| | - John F Trant
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Windsor, 401 Sunset Avenue, Windsor, Ontario, N9B 3P4, Canada.
| |
Collapse
|
49
|
Adhikary D, Kulkarni M, El-Mezawy A, Mobini S, Elhiti M, Gjuric R, Ray A, Polowick P, Slaski JJ, Jones MP, Bhowmik P. Medical Cannabis and Industrial Hemp Tissue Culture: Present Status and Future Potential. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2021; 12:627240. [PMID: 33747008 PMCID: PMC7968383 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2021.627240] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2020] [Accepted: 02/04/2021] [Indexed: 05/22/2023]
Abstract
In recent years high-THC (psychoactive) and low-THC (industrial hemp) type cannabis (Cannabis sativa L.) have gained immense attention in medical, food, and a plethora of other consumer product markets. Among the planting materials used for cultivation, tissue culture clones provide various advantages such as economies of scale, production of disease-free and true-to-type plants for reducing the risk of GMP-EuGMP level medical cannabis production, as well as the development and application of various technologies for genetic improvement. Various tissue culture methods have the potential application with cannabis for research, breeding, and novel trait development, as well as commercial mass propagation. Although tissue culture techniques for plant regeneration and micropropagation have been reported for different cannabis genotypes and explant sources, there are significant variations in the response of cultures and the morphogenic pathway. Methods for many high-yielding elite strains are still rudimentary, and protocols are not established. With a recent focus on sequencing and genomics in cannabis, genetic transformation systems are applied to medical cannabis and hemp for functional gene annotation via traditional and transient transformation methods to create novel phenotypes by gene expression modulation and to validate gene function. This review presents the current status of research focusing on different aspects of tissue culture, including micropropagation, transformation, and the regeneration of medicinal cannabis and industrial hemp transformants. Potential future tissue culture research strategies helping elite cannabis breeding and propagation are also presented.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Dinesh Adhikary
- Department of Agricultural, Food, & Nutritional Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | - Manoj Kulkarni
- Canadian Cannabis Breeding Consortium, Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | | | - Saied Mobini
- Canadian Cannabis Breeding Consortium, Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | | | - Rale Gjuric
- Farmers Business Network Inc., Winnipeg, MB, Canada
| | - Anamika Ray
- Canadian Cannabis Breeding Consortium, Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | | | | | - Maxwell P. Jones
- Department of Plant Agriculture, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada
| | | |
Collapse
|
50
|
Padgitt-Cobb LK, Kingan SB, Wells J, Elser J, Kronmiller B, Moore D, Concepcion G, Peluso P, Rank D, Jaiswal P, Henning J, Hendrix DA. A draft phased assembly of the diploid Cascade hop (Humulus lupulus) genome. THE PLANT GENOME 2021; 14:e20072. [PMID: 33605092 DOI: 10.1002/tpg2.20072] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2020] [Accepted: 10/03/2020] [Indexed: 05/25/2023]
Abstract
Hop (Humulus lupulus L. var Lupulus) is a diploid, dioecious plant with a history of cultivation spanning more than one thousand years. Hop cones are valued for their use in brewing and contain compounds of therapeutic interest including xanthohumol. Efforts to determine how biochemical pathways responsible for desirable traits are regulated have been challenged by the large (2.8 Gb), repetitive, and heterozygous genome of hop. We present a draft haplotype-phased assembly of the Cascade cultivar genome. Our draft assembly and annotation of the Cascade genome is the most extensive representation of the hop genome to date. PacBio long-read sequences from hop were assembled with FALCON and partially phased with FALCON-Unzip. Comparative analysis of haplotype sequences provides insight into selective pressures that have driven evolution in hop. We discovered genes with greater sequence divergence enriched for stress-response, growth, and flowering functions in the draft phased assembly. With improved resolution of long terminal retrotransposons (LTRs) due to long-read sequencing, we found that hop is over 70% repetitive. We identified a homolog of cannabidiolic acid synthase (CBDAS) that is expressed in multiple tissues. The approaches we developed to analyze the draft phased assembly serve to deepen our understanding of the genomic landscape of hop and may have broader applicability to the study of other large, complex genomes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Lillian K Padgitt-Cobb
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, 97331, USA
| | - Sarah B Kingan
- Pacific Biosciences of California, Menlo Park, CA, 94025, USA
| | - Jackson Wells
- Center for Genome Research and Biocomputing, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, 97331, USA
| | - Justin Elser
- Department of Botany and Plant Pathology, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, 97331, USA
| | - Brent Kronmiller
- Center for Genome Research and Biocomputing, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, 97331, USA
| | | | | | - Paul Peluso
- Pacific Biosciences of California, Menlo Park, CA, 94025, USA
| | - David Rank
- Pacific Biosciences of California, Menlo Park, CA, 94025, USA
| | - Pankaj Jaiswal
- Department of Botany and Plant Pathology, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, 97331, USA
| | | | - David A Hendrix
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, 97331, USA
- School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, 97331, USA
| |
Collapse
|