Journal article
Bigger is Better; Modern Cannabis Trichomes are Larger and More Productive than their Landrace Ancestors
Plant and cell physiology, Vol.66(10), pp.1477-1492
10/2025
PMID: 40891499
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Source: InCites
Abstract
Cannabis sativa L. (Cannabis) is a medicinal plant that produces and stores an abundance of therapeutic and psychoactive secondary metabolites, including phytocannabinoids and terpenes, in the glandular trichomes of its female flowers. We postulate that glandular trichome productivity has been under strong artificial selection in the pursuit for ever more potent cultivars. By comparing glandular trichomes of two modern cultivars and two traditional landraces, contrasting for Cannabidiol (CBD) and Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) contents, this study aims to identify drivers of enhanced phytocannabinoid productivity in improved drug cultivars. Fluorescent light microscopy, targeted metabolite analysis, and quantitative proteomics were used to examine differences in trichome morphology and metabolic activity. The increased concentrations of phytocannabinoids and terpenes of modern cannabis cultivars were reflected in larger trichomes, that contained more secretory cells compared to traditional landraces. Proteomic analysis indicated that these modern trichome phenotypes were supported by increased metabolic activity, particularly in pathways related to energy production and lipid metabolism. Weighted Gene Co-expression Network Analysis (WGCNA) suggested that histone H2A (H2AXA) involved in DNA repair, Regulator of Fatty-acid Compostion3 (RFC3) involved in non-photosynthetic plastid development and olivetolic acid cyclase (OAC) involved in phytocannabinoid biosynthesis are central hub proteins associated with high Tetrahydrocannabinolic acid (THCA) production. This study highlights the morphological and molecular differences observed between the specific modern and traditional Cannabis cultivars analysed in this study, offering valuable insights for enhancing phytocannabinoid production through targeted breeding and biotechnological approaches.
Details
- Title
- Bigger is Better; Modern Cannabis Trichomes are Larger and More Productive than their Landrace Ancestors
- Creators
- Matthew Nolan - Southern Cross UniversityQi Guo - Southern Cross UniversityLennard Garcia-de Heer - Southern Cross UniversityLei Liu - Southern Cross UniversityNicolas Dimopoulos - Southern Cross UniversityBronwyn J Barkla - Southern Cross UniversityTobias Kretzschmar - Southern Cross University
- Publication Details
- Plant and cell physiology, Vol.66(10), pp.1477-1492
- Publisher
- Oxford University Press; OXFORD
- Grant note
- This work was supported by the Australian Government through the Department of Industry, Science, Energy and Resources under the Cooperative Research Centres Project (CRC-P) program (Round 7) for ‘Growing the Medicinal CannabisIndustry—Precision Farming to Pharmaceuticals’. The CRC-P program facilitated industry-led research collaboration, with Cann Group Ltd. as the lead partner organization.
- Identifiers
- 991013309993202368
- Copyright
- © The Author(s) 2025.
- Academic Unit
- Research Infrastructure and Operations; Faculty of Science and Engineering; Science
- Language
- English
- Resource Type
- Journal article