Metabolic Engineering of to Produce Cannabinoid Precursors and Their Analogues.

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 () plants as a heterologous host for producing natural and novel cannabinoids.

Comparative Transcriptome Analysis Reveals Coordinated Transcriptional Regulation of Central and Secondary Metabolism in the Trichomes of Cannabis Cultivars.

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.

Identification and Functional Characterization of Tissue-Specific Terpene Synthases in .

In addition to the well-known diterpenoid steviol glycosides, (Stevia) produces many labdane-type diterpenoids and a wide range of mono- and sesquiterpenoids. However, biosynthesis of mono- and sesquiterpenoids in Stevia remains unknown. Here we analyzed the extracts of Stevia leaves, flowers, stems, and roots by Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry and putatively identified a total of 69 volatile organic compounds, most of which were terpenoids with considerably varied quantities among the four tissues of Stevia.