de Ronne Maxime, Torkamaneh Davoud
Département de Phytologie, Université Laval, Québec City, Québec, Canada.
Institut de Biologie Intégrative et des Systèmes (IBIS), Université Laval, Québec City, Québec, Canada.
Plant Genome. 2025 Jun;18(2):e70031. doi: 10.1002/tpg2.70031.
Cannabis (Cannabis sativa L.), once sidelined by decades of prohibition, has now gained recognition as a multifaceted and promising plant in both medical research and commercial applications following its recent legalization. This study leverages a genome-wide association study (GWAS) on 174 drug-type Cannabis accessions from the legal Canadian market, focusing on identifying quantitative trait loci (QTL) and candidate genes associated with eleven cannabinoid traits using 282K common single-nucleotide polymorphisms. This approach aims to transform our understanding of Cannabis genetics. We have pinpointed 33 significant markers that significantly influence cannabinoid production, promising to drive the development of Cannabis varieties with specific cannabinoid profiles. Among the notable findings is a massive haplotype of ∼60 Mb on chromosome 7 in Type I (i.e., tetrahydrocannabinol [THC]-dominant) accessions, highlighting a major genetic influence on cannabinoid profiles. These insights offer valuable guidance for Cannabis breeding programs, enabling the use of precise genetic markers to select and refine promising Cannabis varieties. This approach promises to speed up the breeding process, reduce costs significantly compared to traditional methods, and ensure that the resulting Cannabis varieties are optimized for specific medical and recreational needs. This study marks a significant stride toward fully integrating Cannabis into modern agricultural practices and genetic research, paving the way for future innovations.
大麻(Cannabis sativa L.)曾因数十年的禁令而被边缘化,如今在最近合法化后,已在医学研究和商业应用中成为一种具有多面性且前景广阔的植物。本研究对来自加拿大合法市场的174个药用型大麻品种进行了全基因组关联研究(GWAS),利用282K常见单核苷酸多态性,重点识别与11种大麻素性状相关的数量性状位点(QTL)和候选基因。这种方法旨在改变我们对大麻遗传学的理解。我们已经确定了33个显著影响大麻素产生的标记,有望推动具有特定大麻素谱的大麻品种的开发。其中一个显著发现是,I型(即四氢大麻酚[THC]占主导)品种在7号染色体上有一个约60 Mb的巨大单倍型,突出了对大麻素谱的主要遗传影响。这些见解为大麻育种计划提供了有价值的指导,能够使用精确的遗传标记来选择和改良有前景的大麻品种。这种方法有望加快育种过程,与传统方法相比显著降低成本,并确保培育出的大麻品种针对特定的医疗和娱乐需求进行了优化。这项研究标志着在将大麻全面融入现代农业实践和遗传研究方面迈出了重要一步,为未来的创新铺平了道路。