Genomic and Chemical Diversity in Cannabis

Plants of the Cannabis genus are the only prolific producers of phytocannabinoids, compounds that strongly interact with the evolutionarily ancient endocannabinoid receptors shared by most bilaterian taxa. For millennia, the plant has been cultivated not only for these compounds, but also for food, rope, paper, and clothing. Today, specialized varieties yielding high-quality textile fibers, nutritional seed oil, or high cannabinoid content are cultivated across the globe. However, the genetic identities and histories of these diverse populations remain largely obscured. We analyzed the nuclear genomic diversity among 340 Cannabis varieties, including fiber and seed oil hemp, high cannabinoid drug-types, and feral populations. These analyses demonstrate the existence of at least three major groups of diversity with European hemp varieties more closely related to narrow leaflet drug-types (NLDTs) than to broad leaflet drug-types (BLDTs). The BLDT group appears to encompass less diversity than the NLDT, which reflects the larger geographic range of NLDTs, and suggests a more recent origin of domestication of the BLDTs. As well as being genetically distinct, hemp, NLDT, and BLDT genetic groups produce unique cannabinoid and terpenoid content profiles. This combined analysis of population genomic and trait variation informs our understanding of the potential uses of different genetic variants for medicine and agriculture, providing valuable insights and tools for a rapidly emerging valuable industry.大麻属（Cannabis）植物是唯一能大量合成植物大麻素（phytocannabinoids）的类群，该类化合物可与绝大多数两侧对称动物类群（bilaterian taxa）共有的、演化上古老的内源性大麻素受体（endocannabinoid receptors）发生强效相互作用。数千年来，人类对该植物的栽培不仅为获取其所含的这类化合物，还将其用于食品、绳索、纸张及纺织面料的生产。如今，全球各地均培育有可产出高品质纺织纤维、营养籽油或高含量大麻素的专用品种。然而，这些多样化种群的遗传身份与演化历史仍基本不明晰。本研究对340个大麻属品种的核基因组多样性（nuclear genomic diversity）进行了分析，涵盖纤维用与籽用工业大麻、高大麻素含量的药用型品种，以及逸生种群（feral populations）。分析结果显示，大麻属物种至少存在三大遗传多样性类群：欧洲工业大麻品种与窄叶药用型（narrow leaflet drug-types, NLDTs）的亲缘关系较宽叶药用型（broad leaflet drug-types, BLDTs）更近。宽叶药用型类群的遗传多样性低于窄叶药用型类群，这与窄叶药用型更广的地理分布范围相符，同时暗示宽叶药用型的驯化起源时间更晚。除遗传分化显著外，工业大麻、窄叶药用型与宽叶药用型这三大遗传类群的大麻素与萜类成分谱（terpenoid content profiles）亦各具特异性。本研究通过整合群体基因组学与性状变异的分析，深化了我们对不同遗传变异在医药与农业领域应用潜力的认知，为这一快速崛起的高价值产业提供了宝贵的研究思路与技术工具。