Genomic and Chemical Diversity in <i>Cannabis</i>

Plants of the <i>Cannabis</i> 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 <i>Cannabis</i> 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）植物是目前已知唯一能够大量合成植物大麻素（phytocannabinoids）的类群，这类化合物可与绝大多数两侧对称动物类群共有的、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，人类栽培大麻不仅为获取其所含的这类化合物，还将其用于食品、绳索、纸张及纺织品生产。如今，全球各地均种植有可产出优质纺织纤维、营养籽油或高大麻素含量的专用品种。然而，这些多样化种群的遗传身份与演化历史仍在很大程度上未被厘清。本研究对340份大麻属品种的核基因组多样性展开分析，涵盖纤维与籽油用大麻、高大麻素药用型品种及逸生种群。分析结果表明，大麻的遗传多样性至少可分为三大类群；欧洲大麻品种与狭叶型药用大麻（NLDTs）的亲缘关系，较其与宽叶型药用大麻（BLDTs）的亲缘关系更近。宽叶型药用大麻类群的遗传多样性低于狭叶型药用大麻，这一现象与狭叶型药用大麻更广的地理分布范围相契合，同时也暗示宽叶型药用大麻的驯化起源时间更晚。除遗传特征存在显著差异外，纤维/籽油用大麻、狭叶型药用大麻与宽叶型药用大麻这三大遗传类群的大麻素与萜类化合物（terpenoid）含量谱也各具特色。本研究结合群体基因组学与性状变异的分析，加深了我们对不同遗传变异在医药与农业领域潜在应用价值的认知，也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。