The draft genome and transcriptome of Cannabis sativa (original) (raw)

Abstract

Background: Cannabis sativa has been cultivated throughout human history as a source of fiber, oil and food, and for its medicinal and intoxicating properties. Selective breeding has produced cannabis plants for specific uses, including high-potency marijuana strains and hemp cultivars for fiber and seed production. The molecular biology underlying cannabinoid biosynthesis and other traits of interest is largely unexplored.

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What genetic factors contribute to high THC production in Cannabis sativa PK?add

The study reveals that increased THC production in PK is linked to up-regulation of cannabinoid pathway enzymes compared to hemp, with expression levels in PK being up to 15-fold higher.

How does the C. sativa genome assembly compare to those of other plant species?add

The draft genome assembly of C. sativa PK encompasses over 786 Mb and achieves a scaffold N50 of 16 kb, making it comparable in quality to the Arabidopsis genome according to multiple assembly metrics.

What are the primary enzymatic genes involved in cannabinoid biosynthesis in cannabis flowers?add

The study identifies THCAS as uniquely present in PK and highly expressed in flowers, while CBDAS is absent, thus emphasizing distinct cannabinoid production pathways between marijuana and hemp varieties.

How were SNVs analyzed across different Cannabis sativa strains?add

The analysis indicated comparable rates of heterozygosity among PK, Chemdawg, 'Finola', and 'USO-31', with SNV rates ranging from 0.38% to 0.64%, elucidating genetic variation within the Cannabis sativa taxa.

What methodologies were used to assemble the C. sativa transcriptome?add

The researchers utilized ABySS and Inchworm assemblers for the RNA-Seq data, leading to a final assembly of 40,224 transcripts with an N50 of 1.91 kb, confirming high quality and functional annotations.

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