Scientists Discover How Cannabis Cells Produce Cannabinoids
For the first time, a team of plant biologists from the University of British Columbia in Canada has identified the process by which cells produce THC and CBD
By Sechat with information from Health Europa
It is not new that a number of biotechnology companies and specialized laboratories have been trying to reproduce cannabinoids, such as THC and CBD, outside of the plant. Currently, this process requires the use of a yeast cell culture method, as it is not known how the plant does this naturally. However, researchers from the University of British Columbia have recently discovered how cannabis cells act to carry out this process.
According to researcher and one of the leaders of the study, Sam Livingston, in an interview with Health Europa, “the discovery helps us understand how cannabis trichome cells can pump large amounts of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and terpenes into the body without negatively affecting it.”
The scientist further explains that the new model can assist in synthetic biology approaches for cannabinoid production in yeast, which is constantly used in biotechnology. “Without these 'tricks', they will never have efficient production,” he explains.
The complete study was published on the scientific and medical article platform Science Daily; to access it click here.
Cannabis Trichomes
Humanity has been cultivating cannabis for centuries for the pharmacological effects caused by its specialized metabolites, mainly CBD and terpenoids. Currently, the cannabis market relies on the biological activity of small clusters of cells known as glandular trichomes found predominantly in the flowers of the plant to produce cannabinoids.
In other words, trichomes are those “crystals” typically found on the flowers of the plant.
The new study sheds light on the microenvironments where THC is produced and transported in cannabis trichomes and reveals a series of essential processes within the cell that result in cannabinoid production.
How Are Cannabinoids Made?
The researchers used rapid freezing of cannabis trichomes to inhibit the cellular structures and metabolites of the plant in situ, meaning that they were in their original place. This allowed the team to analyze the glandular trichomes of cannabis using electron microscopes that revealed the cellular structure at a nano level, showing that metabolically active cannabis cells form a “supercell” that functions as a kind of metabolic biofactory.
Traditionally, synthetic biology approaches focus on enhancing the enzymes responsible for cannabinoid manufacturing, building a model to produce products in the largest quantity possible.
However, these methods have not yielded the most efficient way to transport intermediate substances between enzymes or from inside the cell to outside, where the final product can be collected. Thus, the study reveals the subcellular route that cannabis uses to provide a pipeline, that is, an increase in the performance of efficient sequential tasks from raw materials to final products without storing toxins or waste.
Lacey Samuels, a plant cell biologist at UBC, commented that for over 40 years, everything we thought about cannabis cells was inaccurate because it was based on outdated electron microscopy. “This work defines how cannabis cells make their product; it is a paradigm shift after many years, producing a new view of cannabinoid production,” she concludes.