Cannabinoids represent a distinctive class of specialized metabolites in Cannabis sativa L., valued for both psychotropic properties and therapeutic potential. While abiotic stressors are known to modulate plant specialized metabolism, the metabolic consequences of physical injury in cannabis remain unexplored. This study investigated the hypothesis that controlled mechanical wounding enhances cannabinoid biosynthesis. Mechanical damage was applied to flowering plants (cultivar DMG227), and temporal dynamics of cannabinoid accumulation, endogenous hormone profiles, and transcriptome changes were monitored. Cannabidiol (CBD) and Δ⁹-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) concentrations peaked at 48 h post-treatment, subsequently declining to baseline levels. Concurrently, jasmonic acid, JA-isoleucine conjugate, salicylic acid, and abscisic acid exhibited significant alterations. Transcriptomic profiling revealed extensive reprogramming of primary and secondary metabolite biosynthesis, with 34 differentially expressed genes associated with hormone signal transduction. Notably, olivetolic acid cyclase (OAC) and cannabidiolic acid synthase (CBDAS)—pivotal enzymes in CBDA biosynthesis—demonstrated marked upregulation. These findings illuminate the molecular mechanisms governing wound-induced cannabinoid production and establish a practical framework for pre-harvest CBD optimization in cannabis cultivation.

Cannabis sativa L., a dioecious plant, exhibits sex-specific medicinal active ingredients. However, their causes remain unexplored. In this study, C. sativa flowers exhibited significant intersexual morphological differences, particularly in glandular trichomes. 1676 DEGs and 700 DAMs were identified. Among 149 genes related to sexual differentiation, 77 encode hormone-related products presumably involved in dioecy. Female flowers had cannabinoid levels 16.88 times those of males. Metabolomic sequencing identified 28 distinct terpenoids. We identified CsDXPS1, CsLOX2, CsLOX1.5, CsAAE18, CsAAE6-1, CsAAE6-2, CsGGR, and the metabolite mevalonate-5P; all except AAE6 were highly expressed in female flowers, regulating terpene and cannabinoid production. Seven glandular-trichome-related DEGs showed significant positive correlation with cannabinoid and terpene abundance; female-enriched CsMYC4 (TPS activator) and CsMYB49 (secretion enhancer) emerged as pivotal transcriptional regulators. These results provide a theoretical basis for the directional selection of female and male strains with high production and cultivation value.

Hempseed (Cannabis sativa L.) has gained increasing attention as a sustainable and nutrient-dense superfood. Despite China is one of the top three cultivating and processing nations worldwide, comprehensive comparisons on its commercial varieties are less known. This study systematically characterized and compared the physicochemical properties, nutritional profiles, and bioactive compound contents of seven commercial Chinese hempseed varieties. Significant varietal differences were observed in oil (23.6–31.2 %) and protein (17.26–24.84 %) content. Fatty acid profiling exhibited distinct compositions: YM7 was rich in γ-linolenic acid and favorable n-6/n-3 ratio, while HM245 and ZMZ1 were rich in linoleic acid (p < 0.05). Bioactive compounds revealed the higher levels of phytosterols and tocopherols in ZMZ1 grains, which closely correlated with the highest in vitro antioxidant capacity (phytosterols R2 = 0.81; tocopherols R2 = 0.85). HM240 showed higher flavonoid content (0.44 mg QE/g). These findings provide critical insights into major Chinese hempseed resources, highlighting their potential in targeted nutritional and functional applications.

Photoperiods affect plant flowering, organ formation, and metabolite synthesis. Cannabis sativa L., renowned as one of the world's oldest medicinal plants, primarily derives its medicinal properties from secondary metabolites. However, the intricate mechanisms underlying the response of C. sativa to different photoperiods remain poorly studied and reported. This study aimed to elucidate, for the first time, the effects of varied photoperiods on C. sativa after a 28 d vegetative growth period, particularly on the regulation of yield, cannabinoid, and terpenes. The results showed that the yield and cannabinoid levels of C. sativa were hypersensitive to photoperiod. Integrated analyses combining metabolomics and transcriptomics unveiled the intricate response mechanisms of C. sativa to diverse photoperiods. Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes analysis revealed the phenylpropanoid biosynthesis pathway as having the highest concentration of differentially accumulated metabolites (DAMs) and differentially expressed genes (DEGs), crucial for the synthesis of medicinal compounds. Photosynthesis and plant hormones directly determined yield, with 18 DEGs and two DAMs (indole-3-acetic acid and salicylic acid) playing pivotal roles in the regulation of the yield. DXR, OAC, and THCAS regulated cannabinoid synthesis, CsTPS regulated terpene synthesis. Furthermore, glandular trichomes and transcription factors, including bHLH and MYB, emerged as significant regulators in cannabinoid and terpene synthesis. In summary, this study provides a theoretical and practical reference for the optimal photoperiod to improve plant yield and quality of C. sativa. (c) 2024 SAAB. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights are reserved, including those for text and data mining, AI training, and similar technologies.

Cadmium (Cd) is a dangerous environmental contaminant. Jute (Corchorus sp.) is an important natural fiber crop with strong absorption and excellent adaptability to metal-stressed environments, used in the phytoextraction of heavy metals. Understanding the genetic and molecular mechanisms underlying Cd tolerance and accumulation in plants is essential for efficient phytoremediation strategies and breeding novel Cd-tolerant cultivars. Here, machine learning (ML) and hyperspectral imaging (HSI) combining genome-wide association studies (GWAS) and RNA-seq reveal the genetic basis of Cd resistance and absorption in jute. ML needs a small number of plant phenotypes for training and can complete the plant phenotyping of large-scale populations with efficiency and accuracy greater than 90%. In particular, a candidate gene for Cd resistance (COS02g_02406) and a candidate gene (COS06g_03984) associated with Cd absorption are identified in isoflavonoid biosynthesis and ethylene response signaling pathways.COS02g_02406 may enable plants to cope with metal stress by regulating isoflavonoid biosynthesis involved in antioxidant defense and metal chelation. COS06g_03984 promotes the binding of Cd2+ to ETR/ERS, resulting in Cd absorption and tolerance. The results confirm the feasibility of high-throughput phenotyping for studying plant Cd tolerance by combining HSI and ML approaches, facilitating future molecular breeding.

Female inflorescence is the primary output of medical Cannabis. It contains hundreds of cannabinoids that accumulate in the glandular trichomes. However, little is known about the genetic mechanisms governing Cannabis inflorescence development. In this study, we reported the map-based cloning of a gene determining the number of inflorescences per branch. We named this gene CsMIKC1 since it encodes a transcription factor that belongs to the MIKC-type MADS subfamily. Constitutive overexpression of CsMIKC1 increases inflorescence number per branch, thereby promoting flower production as well as grain yield in transgenic Cannabis plants. We further identified a plant-specific transcription factor, CsBPC2, promoting the expression of CsMIKC1. CsBPC2 mutants and CsMIKC1 mutants were successfully created using the CRISPR-Cas9 system; they exhibited similar inflorescence degeneration and grain reduction. We also validated the interaction of CsMIKC1 with CsVIP3, which suppressed expression of four inflorescence development-related genes in Cannabis. Our findings establish important roles for CsMIKC1 in Cannabis, which could represent a previously unrecognized mechanism of inflorescence development regulated by ethylene.

BACKGROUND:Cannabis sativa, a dioecious plant that has been cultivated worldwide for thousands of years, is known for its secondary metabolites, especially cannabinoids, which possess several medicinal effects. In this study, we investigated the autopolyploidization effects on the biosynthesis and accumulation of these metabolites, transcriptomic and metabolomic analyses were performed to explore the gene expression and metabolic variations in industrial hemp autotetraploids and their diploid progenitors.RESULTS:Through these analyses, we obtained 1,663 differentially expressed metabolites and 1,103 differentially expressed genes. Integrative analysis revealed that phenylpropanoid and terpenoid biosynthesis were regulated by polyploidization. No substantial differences were found in the cannabidiol or tetrahydrocannabinol content between tetraploids and diploids. Following polyploidization, some transcription factors, including nine bHLH and eight MYB transcription factors, affected the metabolic biosynthesis as regulators. Additionally, several pivotal catalytic genes, such as flavonol synthase/flavanone 3-hydroxylase, related to the phenylpropanoid metabolic pathway, were identified as being modulated by polyploidization.CONCLUSIONS:This study enhances the overall understanding of the impact of autopolyploidization in C. sativa and the findings may encourage the application of polyploid breeding for increasing the content of important secondary metabolites in industrial hemp.

Cannabis sativa is highly cultivated owing to its secondary metabolites, especially cannabinoids, which possess several medicinal effects. This study aims to examine the effect of foliar application of kinetin (KT) on the growth, cannabinoid content, and transcriptome of C. sativa at the flowering stage. A pot experiment was conducted in a greenhouse under a 16h/8h light/dark cycle for growing, and the photoperiod was adjusted to 10h/14h to induce flowering. The plant was sprayed with 0, 20, 40, and 100 mg/L KT every 2 days for a total of six times. Phenotypic parameters (fresh weight, cannabinoid content, and enzyme activity) and metabolome were analyzed. Foliar application of 20 and 40 mg/L of KT increased the growth and cannabinoid content of C. sativa, particularly that of cannabidiol. Similarly, treatment with 20 mg/L of KT increased the Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinolcontent to 0.24%, which is below the legal value of 0.30% in North American countries. Plants treated with 20 and 40 mg/L of KT showed decreased activities of 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase and 1-deoxy-D-xylulose 5-phosphate synthase. KEGG pathway analysis showed that differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in the KT-treated cannabis were mainly enriched in 12 pathways, including sesquiterpenoid and triterpenoid biosynthesis, linoleic acid metabolism, flavonoid and phenylpropanoid biosynthesis, and other secondary metabolic pathways; 14DEGs (including eight upregulated and six downregulated genes) were enriched in sesquiterpene and triterpene biosynthesis pathways. Overall, these findings showed that KT plays a significant role in regulating terpenoid biosynthesis and the cannabinoid content of C. sativa

Jute is an important natural fibre crop which provides most of the global bast fibre production annually. However, little progress has been made regarding its genomic diversity, historical population dynamics, origins, and improvement. In this study, we re-sequenced 150 accessions of white jute from 9 countries, further studied the genetic diversity, population dynamics, and improvement, and obtained a total of 3269,808 single nucleotide polymorphisms(SNPs) and 1179,601 insertions/deletions(InDels). Based on these markers, 150 accessions were classified into 2 clades: landraces and modern cultivars. Notably, the modern cultivars were partly classified into two offspring groups: one group developed from "D154," an important Indian variety, and another from "Xin Xuan 1 hao," a Chinese cultivar. The genetic diversity (& pi;) was estimated for landrace and cultivars at 0.334 x 10-3 and 0.279 x 10-3, which was considerably lower than that for Corchorus olitorius, suggesting that C. capsularis is subject to a stronger breeding selection during improvement than C. olitorius. A total of 12 candidate genes related to improvement were identified by analyzing & pi; and fixation index(FST). Three of the 12 genes may be involved in the methylation and demethylation processes, which can be integrated into an environmentally sensitive molecular engine that promotes rapid improvement. Analysis of population historical dynamics for C. capsularis showed that the population sizes for landraces and modern cultivars went through 3 bottlenecks. The first bottleneck may be due to climate change whereas the last two may be affected by human activities and war. Our results provide new insights into C. capsularis genome variation, phylogenetic relationships, and improvement, helping understand the genetic basis of crucial agronomic traits and facilitating future molecular breeding for jute.

Cannabis (Cannabis sativa L.) is a dioecious plant cultivated worldwide for thousands of years. Besides the narcotic and therapeutic effects, Cannabis can be used as raw materials in multiple fields, including bioenergy, textiles, food, and ecological restoration. It is also an efficient bioremediation agent for contaminated soil, as well as greenhouse gas absorption. With the expansion of the market, there has been an increased demand to develop Cannabis cultivars with enhanced traits. As a major science breakthrough, the advent of the CRISPR/Cas system will revolutionize the basic and applied research in Cannabis. This article provides an overview of the recent advances in the optimization of a transformation system and in the gene editing of Cannabis. To achieve the full potential of this environmentally friendly and sustainable crop, we highlight future directions of genetic modification as well as several bottlenecks to overcome.

Jute (Corchorus sp.) is the most important bast fiber crop worldwide; however, the mechanisms underlying domestication and improvement remain largely unknown. We performed multi-omics analysis by integrating de novo sequencing, resequencing, and transcriptomic and epigenetic sequencing to clarify the domestication and improvement of dark jute Corchorus olitorius. We demonstrated that dark jute underwent early domestication and a relatively moderate genetic bottleneck during improvement breeding. A genome-wide association study of 11 important agronomic traits identified abundant candidate loci. We characterized the selective sweeps in the two breeding stages of jute, prominently, soil salinity differences played an important role in environmental adaptation during domestication, and the strongly selected genes for improvement had an increased frequency of favorable haplotypes. Furthermore, we speculated that an encoding auxin/indole-3-acetic acid protein COS07g_00652 could enhance the flexibility and strength of the stem to improve fiber yield. Our study not only provides valuable genetic resources for future fiber breeding in jute, but also is of great significance for reviewing the genetic basis of early crop breeding.

中大麻资4号是吉林四环澳康药业有限公司和中国农业科学院麻类研究所共同选育的低毒、高CBD工业大麻杂交品种.区域试验结果表明,该品种四氢大麻酚(THC)平均含量为0.20％,大麻二酚(CBD)平均含量为5.04％,花叶平均产量2666.7 kg/hm2.该品种生长期内未见明显叶斑病、灰霉病、白粉病、根腐病发生,抗旱性中等.该品种于2021年11月12日通过了安徽省非主要农作物品种鉴定登记委员会组织专家进行的新品种鉴定登记.

We investigated the effect of iron oxide nanoparticles (Fe3O4 NPs, ∼17 nm in size) on the phenotype and metabolite changes in hemp (Cannabis sativa L.), an annual crop distributed worldwide. Hemp clones were grown in hydroponic cultures with Fe3O4 NPs (50, 100, 200, or 500 mg/L) for four weeks. TEM and ICP-MS were used to determine Fe3O4 NPs uptake and translocation. LC-MS-based metabolomics was employed to explore the deep insight into the effect of Fe3O4 NPs on hemp plants. The results revealed that plant growth enhanced gradually with increasing concentrations of given NPs up to 200 mg/L, which improved the fresh weight and dry weight by 36.13% and 74.68%, respectively, compared to the control. Even at a high dose (500 mg/L), Fe3O4 NPs promoted plant growth, including increased biomass and tissue length. NPs significantly increased the iron and chlorophyll content in plant tissues Increased catalase activity and reduced hydrogen peroxide content in hemp leaves suggested that the Fe3O4 NPs activated the defense system. TEM showed that NPs were abundantly attached to the cell wall and dispersed throughout the root cells. Metabolomics revealed that Fe3O4 NPs induced metabolic reprogramming in hemp leaves, including the up-regulation of carbohydrates and organic acids, and down-regulation of antioxidants, especially tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). The significantly up-regulated metabolites, including peonidin and 2-hydroxycinnamic acid, could be involved in photosynthesis in hemp plants. These results demonstrate the potential of Fe3O4 NPs for promoting hemp growth and decreasing the THC content at low doses.

Graphene oxide (GO) is widely used in various scientific fields, including biochemistry and environmental and plant science, because of its unique physicochemical properties. However, there is limited knowledge about the influence of GO on the growth and cadmium (Cd) tolerance of plants used for environmental remediation. The regulation of GO nanosheets on Cd tolerance in jute (Corchorus olitorius L.) and the toxicity responses of the plant were investigated. Jute seedlings were cultivated in a Cd-contaminated aquatic system in the presence of GO at different concentrations (5, 10, and 20 mg/L). Several parameters, including dry biomass, chlorophyll contents, reactive oxygen species level, and antioxidant enzyme activities, were evaluated in this work. The results suggest that the effects of GO exposure on plant Cd tolerance are concentration dependent; at low concentrations, GO could promote the growth of jute and stimulate the activities of antioxidant enzymes and reduce oxidative stress to facilitate Cd uptake in jute seedlings and improve Cd tolerance. However, GO at high concentrations could inhibit plant growth, decrease Cd uptake, and increase oxidative stress. This study develops a possible application of GO nanosheets for Cd remediation at low concentrations; however, it is still in the early phases of exploration. Furthermore, the potential risks of releasing high concentrations of GO require further research.

Summary Hemp (Cannabis sativa L.) is an annual and typically dioecious crop. Due to the therapeutic potential for human diseases, phytocannabinoids as a medical therapy is getting more attention recently. Several candidate genes involved in cannabinoid biosynthesis have been elucidated using omics analysis. However, the gene function was not fully validated due to few reports of stable transformation for Cannabis tissues. In this study, we firstly report the successful generation of gene‐edited plants using an Agrobacterium‐mediated transformation method in C. sativa. DMG278 achieved the highest shoot induction rate, which was selected as the model strain for transformation. By overexpressing the cannabis developmental regulator chimera in the embryo hypocotyls of immature grains, the shoot regeneration efficiency was substantially increased. We used CRISPR/Cas9 technology to edit the phytoene desaturase gene and finally generated four edited cannabis seedlings with albino phenotype. Moreover, we propagated the transgenic plants and validated the stable integration of T‐DNA in cannabis genome.

帝王菜又称麻叶菜、菜用黄麻、埃及野麻婴等,学名为长果黄麻(Corchorus olitirius L.),是黄麻属(Corchorus L.)一年生草本植物,主要食用嫩茎叶.帝王菜原产于阿拉伯半岛、埃及、苏丹、利比亚等地区和中国南部-印缅地区(粟建光等,2005),在埃及等阿拉伯国家作为宫廷御膳已有5000多年历史.我国华南、华中及台湾等地区有野生长果黄麻种群分布,福建南部、广东东部和广西等地区有栽培和食用长果黄麻的传统.帝王菜嫩茎质地爽脆,幼叶软滑,富含膳食纤维、钙、硒、维生素、氨基酸、黄酮、茶多酚、总皂苷等,每100 g嫩茎叶中含硒0.1 mg,是其他蔬菜的3倍以上,钙、铁、镁等元素可与海鲜产品媲美(曹利瑞,2012),是一种营养成分丰富的绿色健康蔬菜和保健品优质原料,具有健脾胃、润肠通便、降血压、祛疲劳等独特保健功效(李燕等,2010),具有广泛的应用价值和开发潜力.

本研究以198份国内外大麻种质资源为材料,开展了 14个农艺和品质性状多样性鉴定,并进行变异分析、相关性分析、主成分分析和聚类分析,为我国大麻种质资源创新和资源高效利用提供基础材料和技术参考.变异分析结果表明,198份国内外大麻种质资源具有较为丰富的遗传多样性,14个性状的变异系数范围为4.79％～64.45％,变异系数最大的是大麻二酚含量,最小的是雌花开花日数,平均值为27.78％.其中,大麻酚(CBN)、大麻二酚(CBD)、大麻二酚酸(CBDA)、次大麻二酚(CBDV)4种大麻素含量的变异系数均大于40.0％,品质性状表现出更好的变异性.相关性分析表明,CBD含量与CBD A、CBD V和CBN的含量均为极显著正相关,CBDA含量与CBN含量极显著正相关,株高与茎粗极显著正相关,CBDA含量与多个农艺性状呈现显著的相关性,株高、茎粗的改良有利于大麻素CBDA含量的提高;主成分分析把14个性状综合为6个主成分,累计贡献率达到69.204％,表明6个主成分反映了大麻种质资源大部分的性状信息.聚类分析得到3个类群,其中第Ⅰ类群的69份资源在大麻素含量、株高和茎粗上表现较好,可以进一步筛选作为育种研究的亲本材料.

中汉麻2、3、4号是云南素麻生物科技有限公司和中国农业科学院麻类研究所共同选育的低毒、高CBD工业大麻系列专用新品种.3个品种的大麻二酚(CBD)平均含量分别为3.22％、4.22％、4.29％,四氢大麻酚(THC)平均含量分别为0.18％、0.19％、0.17％,其中中汉麻3、4号为全雌品种,雌株率分别为97.1％和96.4％.多年多点区域试验,中汉麻2、3、4号的花叶平均产量分别为1723.5、1693.5、1627.5 kg/hm2.3个品种均具有较好的白绢病抗性和抗旱性,生长期内未见明显叶斑病、灰霉病、白粉病、根腐病发生.3个品种于2020年10月10日通过云南省种子管理站组织专家进行品种鉴定.

With the increasing production and wide application of carbon nanotubes (CNTs), they are inevitably released into the natural environment and ecosystems, where plants are the main primary producers. Hence, it is imperative to understand the toxic effects of CNTs on plants. The molecular mechanisms underlying the toxic effects of CNTs on plants are still unclear. Therefore, in the present study, we investigated the effects of high concentrations of multi-walled CNTs (MWCNTs) on Arabidopsis. Root elongation and leaf development were severely inhibited after MWCNT exposure. Excess production of H2O2, O-2(-), and malondialdehyde was observed, indicating that MWCNTs induced oxidative stress. The antioxidant system was activated to counter MWCNTs-induced oxidative stress. Combinatorial transcriptome and m6A methylome analysis revealed that MWCNTs suppressed auxin signaling and photosynthesis. Reactive oxygen species metabolism, toxin metabolism, and plant responses to pathogens were enhanced to cope with the phytotoxicity of MWCNTs. Our results provide new insights into the molecular mechanisms of CNT phytotoxicity and plant defense responses to CNTs. (C) 2021 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.