Research Reveals How Ancient Viruses Got Cannabis High
November 28, 2018| |
A study conducted at the University of Toronto (UT) has produced the world's first chromosome map of cannabis, revealing the plant's evolutionary past and points to its future as potential medicine. The researchers from UT's Donnelly Centre found that THC and CBD, bioactive substances produced by cannabis and sought by medical patients and recreational users, sprung to life thanks to ancient colonization of the plant's genome by viruses.
The new map reveals how hemp and marijuana, which belong to the same species Cannabis sativa, evolved as separate strains with distinct chemical properties. Cannabis plants grown for drug use ("marijuana") are abundant in psychoactive tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, whereas hemp produces cannabidiol, or CBD, popular of late for its medicinal potential.
The enzymes making THC and CBD are encoded by THCA and CBDA synthase genes, respectively. Both are found on chromosome 6 of the 10 chromosomes the cannabis genome is packaged into. There, the enzyme genes are surrounded by vast swathes of garbled DNA which came from viruses that colonized the genome millions of years ago. This viral DNA, or retroelements as it is known, made copies of itself that spread across the genome by jumping into other sites in the host cell's DNA.
For more details, read the news release from Connelly Centre.
| |
Biotech Updates is a weekly newsletter of ISAAA, a not-for-profit organization. It is distributed for free to over 22,000 subscribers worldwide to inform them about the key developments in biosciences, especially in biotechnology. Your support will help us in our mission to feed the world with knowledge. You can help by donating as little as $10.
-
See more articles:
-
News from Around the World
- Biotech Law Will Be Passed Soon in Uganda, S&T Chairperson Assures Farmers
- Study Shows Plant Characteristics Shaped by Parental Conflict
- Citizen Science Can Play A Role in Addressing Agricultural Challenges
- Argentina One Step Away from GM Wheat Commercialization
- Men More Positive about GM Foods, Survey Says
- Australian OGTR Approves Field Trial of GM Canola
- Study Shows Positive Impact of Bt Cotton Adoption Among Farmers in Pakistan
- Nobel Laureate Rallies Global Support in Favor of GMOs
- Report: Pakistan Achieves Biotech All-Time High in 2017
-
Research Highlights
- Gene Improves Heat and Drought Tolerance in Wheat and Arabidopsis
- Cotton Gene Enhances Brown Fiber Quality
- Development of 3rd Generation Climate Resilient and Dry Direct Seeded Rice Varieties
-
Beyond Crop Biotech
- Research Reveals How Ancient Viruses Got Cannabis High
-
Resources
- Map Shows Public Sector Biotech Products in the Pipeline Around the World
-
Plant
- CRISPR-Cas9 Delivered in Wheat Using Agrobacterium
- Screening for CRISPR and TALENs Edits, Better with Ribonucleoproteins
- CRISPR-Cas12a Applied in Rice
- Researchers Use CRISPR-Cas9 to Target Ripening Genes in Tomato
-
Read the latest: - Biotech Updates (April 17, 2024)
- Gene Editing Supplement (April 10, 2024)
- Gene Drive Supplement (February 22, 2023)
-
Subscribe to BU: - Share
- Tweet