Systems and methods for enhancing trichome formation and density in
The present invention includes systems, methods and compositions for increasing trichome formation and/or density in cannabinoid producing plants, such as Cannabis and hemp. Additional aspects of the invention further include systems, methods and compositions for increasing cannabinoid and terpene biosynthetic and storage capacity in Cannabis.
1. A method of increasing trichome formation in a plant comprising the steps:
stably transforming a Cannabis plant to express a heterologous polynucleotide sequence according to SEQ ID NO. 7, or a fragment thereof, wherein expression of the heterologous polynucleotide sequence upregulates trichome formation in said Cannabis plant.
2. The method of claim 1 wherein said Cannabis plant is Cannabis sativa or hemp.
3. The method of claim 2 wherein the nucleotide sequence SEQ ID NO. 7 is operably linked to a promoter to produce an expression vector and wherein said expression vector is configured to be introduced via transformation to a Cannabis sativa or hemp plant.
4. The method of claim 3 wherein the Cannabis sativa or hemp plant is stably transformed through Agrobacterium Ti-plasmid mediated transformation.
5. A genetically modified Cannabis sativa or hemp plant or part thereof produced by the method of claim 4 .
6. A genetically modified Cannabis sativa or hemp plant or part thereof produced by the method of claim 3 .
7. The genetically modified Cannabis sativa or hemp plant or part thereof and its progeny of claim 6 wherein the plant produces 30% more trichome structures compared to a wild-type Cannabis sativa or hemp plant.
8. The genetically modified Cannabis sativa or hemp plant or part thereof of claim 7 wherein its progeny is a seed from the genetically modified Cannabis sativa or hemp plant.
9. The genetically modified Cannabis sativa or hemp plant or part thereof of claim 6 wherein said heterologous polynucleotide sequence according to SEQ ID NO. 7 encodes a heterologous polypeptide according to the amino acid sequence SEQ ID NO. 6 or a fragment thereof wherein expression of the polynucleotide upregulates trichome formation.
10. The genetically modified Cannabis sativa or hemp plant or part thereof and its progeny of claim 9 wherein said nucleotide sequence according to SEQ ID NO. 7 that has been codon optimized for expression in Cannabis sativa or hemp.
11. A method of increasing cannabinoid formation in a plant comprising the steps:
stably transforming a Cannabis plant to express a heterologous polynucleotide sequence according to SEQ ID NO. 7, or a fragment thereof.
12. The method of claim 11 wherein said Cannabis plant is Cannabis sativa or hemp.
13. The method of claim 12 wherein the nucleotide sequence SEQ ID NO. 7 is operably linked to a promoter to produce an expression vector and wherein said expression vector is configured to be introduced via transformation to a Cannabis sativa or hemp plant.
14. A genetically modified Cannabis sativa or hemp plant or part thereof produced by the method of claim 13 .
15. A genetically modified Cannabis sativa or hemp plant or part thereof produced by the method of claim 12 .
16. The genetically modified Cannabis sativa or hemp plant or part thereof and its progeny of claim 15 wherein said plant or parts thereof and its progeny express the amino sequence according to SEQ ID NO. 6, or a fragment thereof, wherein expression of the polynucleotide upregulates formation of CBDA and/or THCA.
17. The genetically modified Cannabis sativa or hemp plant or part thereof and its progeny of claim 16 wherein the plant produces 4-fold the amount of THCA compared to a wild-type plant, 3-fold the amount of CBDA compared to a wild-type plant, and 30% more trichome structures compared to a wild-type plant.
18. The genetically modified Cannabis sativa or hemp plant or part thereof of claim 15 wherein its progeny is a seed from the genetically modified Cannabis sativa or hemp plant.
19. The genetically modified Cannabis sativa or hemp plant or part thereof and its progeny of claim 15 wherein said nucleotide sequence according to SEQ ID NO. 7 that has been codon optimized for expression in Cannabis sativa or hemp.
20. A method of increasing trichome formation in a plant comprising the steps:
stably transforming a Cannabis plant to express a heterologous polynucleotide sequence encoding transcription factor MYB1 from Artemisia annua , or a fragment thereof.
21. The method of claim 20 , wherein said heterologous polynucleotide sequence encoding transcription factor MYB1 from Artemisia annua comprises a heterologous polynucleotide according to SEQ ID NO. 7, or a fragment thereof, that has been codon optimized for expression in Cannabis sativa or hemp.
22. The method of claim 21 wherein said Cannabis plant is Cannabis sativa or hemp.
23. The method of claim 22 wherein the nucleotide sequence SEQ ID NO. 7 is operably linked to a promoter to produce an expression vector and wherein said expression vector is configured to be introduced via transformation to a Cannabis sativa or hemp plant.
24. A genetically modified Cannabis sativa or hemp plant or part thereof produced by the method of claim 23 .
25. The genetically modified Cannabis sativa or hemp plant or part thereof and its progeny of claim 22 wherein the plant produces 30% more trichome structures compared to a wild-type Cannabis sativa or hemp plant.