THC and CBD Formed Due to Ancient Viruses, Study Suggests
[dropcap class=”kp-dropcap”]P[/dropcap]ublished on Nov. 7 in the journal Genome Research, the mapping of the cannabis genome revealed several things, including the theory that cannabidiol (CBD) and tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) were formed due to the colonization of the plant’s genome by ancient viruses.
“The chromosome map is an important foundational resource for further research which, despite cannabis’ widespread use, has lagged behind other crops due to restrictive legislation,” Tim Hughes, professor at the Donnelly Centre for Cellular and Biomolecular Research and co-leader of the study said in a press release.
The study was conducted with Hughes team as well as the teams of Jonathan Page of Aurora Cannabis and the University of British Columbia, and Harm van Bakel, of the Icahn School of Medicine at Mt Sinai in New York. The project between Hughes, Page and van Bakel began in 2011, when they first released a fragmented version of the cannabis genome.
The first-ever cannabis chromosome map shows genes from invading viruses caused cannabis plants to evolve the bioactive compounds THC and CBD. https://t.co/XEtWHIDSNE pic.twitter.com/O8mKfqfIpi
— UBC Science (@ubcscience) November 27, 2018
The research teams were able to catch a glimpse into how modern day cannabis varieties formed and why. “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,” the press release reads.
In other words, invading “retroelements” may have led to the formation of enzymes that produce THCA and CBDA millions of years ago.
The map also reveals how hemp and cannabis, both the same species cannabis sativa, evolved into two different plant varieties. It sheds light on why cannabis split into psychoactive and non-psychoactive forms.
