Shanyu Chen^1* , Huijuan Tang^2* , Si Jie¹ , Wenjun Wang³ , Lijuan Tang³ , Guanhai Ruan¹

1 Institute of Crops and Nuclear Technology Utilization, Zhejiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Hangzhou, 310021, China;
2 Institute of Bast Fiber Crops, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Changsha, 410205, China;
3 Institute of Industrial Crops, Heilongjiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Harbin, 150000, China
* These authors contributed equally to this work
Author    Correspondence author
Genomics and Applied Biology, 2024, Vol. 15, No. 5   doi: 10.5376/gab.2024.15.0024
Received: 07 Jul., 2024    Accepted: 19 Aug., 2024    Published: 08 Sep., 2024

This is an open access article published under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Chen S.Y., Tang H.J., Jie S., Wang W.J., Tang L.J., and Ruan G.H., 2024, Research progress in genome sequencing and functional gene mining of cannabis, Genomics and Applied Biology, 15(5): 223-234 (doi: 10.5376/gab.2024.15.0024)

The primary goal of this study is to advance the understanding of the Cannabis sativa genome and to identify functional genes that contribute to its medicinal, industrial, and agricultural applications. Our comprehensive analysis revealed several key findings. Current Cannabis genome assemblies are incomplete, with significant portions missing or unmapped, which hampers accurate gene annotation. Recent advancements in genomics have identified four genes significantly associated with lifetime cannabis use: NCAM1, CADM2, SCOC, and KCNT2, which are linked to various phenotypes such as substance use and body mass index. Additionally, a high-quality reference genome for wild Cannabis sativa has been developed, providing valuable genetic resources for future research. In silico approaches have been proposed for genome editing, targeting genes involved in cannabinoid biosynthesis, which could lead to novel applications in agriculture and medicine. Furthermore, virus-induced gene silencing (VIGS) methods have been successfully applied to study gene functions in cannabis, demonstrating the potential for functional gene studies. The findings underscore the importance of coordinated efforts to complete and refine Cannabis genome assemblies. The identification of key genes and the development of advanced genomics tools hold significant promise for the genetic improvement of cannabis. These advancements could lead to enhanced medicinal and industrial applications, ultimately benefiting various sectors including agriculture, pharmaceuticals, and biotechnology.

Cannabis sativa; Genome sequencing; Functional gene mining; Genomics, Cannabinoid biosynthesis; Gene editing; Virus-induced gene silencing