“火人”——每年在美國內(nèi)華達州舉行的一個隨心所欲的著名藝術(shù)聚會——的參與者們通常都不會注意到新的基因組序列，但他們或許想要看一下在10月出版的《基因組生物學(xué)》雜志上的一篇論文。
科學(xué)家在論文中報告說,，他們已經(jīng)測定了纖維植物物種大麻（Cannabis sativa）的大部分遺傳密碼,。
研究小組選擇的樣本是一種名為紫興都庫什的大麻品種,。
這一基因組或許能夠給研究人員提供新的視點——到底是什么原因讓這種盆栽植物在一些民間節(jié)慶上如此受歡迎,。
通過將紫興都庫什與另一種流行的大麻產(chǎn)品——由大麻纖維生產(chǎn)的菲諾拉（Finola）品種——進行比較，研究小組發(fā)現(xiàn),，一種對大量生產(chǎn)賦予了大麻極度快感的化合物質(zhì)——四氫大麻酚（THC）——前體至關(guān)重要的基因被關(guān)閉了,。
反過來，紫興都庫什大麻只產(chǎn)生少量,，甚至不含大麻二酚酸——這是在大麻類植物中發(fā)現(xiàn)的一種類似化合物,，這或許是因為這些分子吸收了THC所需要的基本成分。
即便是對于那些不吸食大麻的人而言,，這也是一條不同尋常的新聞,。
大麻是當(dāng)今世界上最廉價、最普及的毒品,。其主要有效化學(xué)成分為THC，THC在吸食或口服后有精神和生理的活性作用,。人類吸食大麻的歷史長達千余年,，20世紀在毒品和宗教方面的使用有增加傾向。吸毒者如吸入大劑量大麻,，會出現(xiàn)幻覺,、妄想和類偏執(zhí)狀態(tài)，伴有思維紊亂,，自我意識障礙,，出現(xiàn)雙重人格,。（生物谷 Bioon.com）
doi:10.1186/gb-2011-12-10-r102
PMC:
PMID:
The draft genome and transcriptome of Cannabis sativa
Harm van Bakel, Jake M Stout, Atina G Cote, Carling M Tallon, Andrew G Sharpe, Timothy R Hughes* and Jonathan E Page*
Background Cannabis sativa has been cultivated throughout human history as a source of fiber, oil and food, and for its medicinal and intoxicating properties. Selective breeding has produced cannabis plants for specific uses, including high-potency marijuana strains and hemp cultivars for fiber and seed production. The molecular biology underlying cannabinoid biosynthesis and other traits of interest is largely unexplored. Results We sequenced genomic DNA and RNA from the marijuana strain Purple Kush using shortread approaches. We report a draft haploid genome sequence of 534 Mb and a transcriptome of 30,000 genes. Comparison of the transcriptomes of Purple Kush and the hemp cultivar Finola revealed that many genes for cannabinoid and precursor pathways are more highly expressed in Purple Kush compared to Finola. The exclusive occurrence of 9-tetrahydrocannabinolic acid synthase in the Purple Kush transcriptome, and its replacement by cannabidiolic acid synthase in Finola, provides an explanation for the production of the psychoactive cannabinoid 9-tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, in marijuana but not hemp. Resequencing Finola and the hemp cultivar USO-31 showed little difference in gene copy numbers of cannabinoid pathway enzymes. However, single nucleotide variant analysis uncovered a relatively high level of variation between cannabis types, and supported a separation of marijuana and hemp. Conclusions The Cannabis sativa genome enables the analysis of a multifunctional plant that occupies a unique role in human culture. Its availability will further the development of therapeutic marijuana strains with tailored cannabinoid profiles and provide a basis for the breeding of hemp with improved agronomic characteristics.
