Whether you are starting a cannabis business, experimenting with different strains, or just curious about phenotypes, you should know the basic concepts. Phenotypes are genetic variations that have been passed down through generations of cannabis plants and are responsible for some of the traits associated with cannabis.
Genetics
Various aspects of the Cannabis phenotype are controlled by the environment. This includes growing conditions, temperature, and foliage density. The phenotype is also affected by changes in potency and cultivation practices.
Genetics of cannabis phenotype is important to understanding why some cannabis seed batches develop into beautiful gardens, while others don’t. They also expand options for breeders.
The genetics of cannabis phenotype involves identifying and evaluating the genetics of strains and their variants. These findings can help growers select strains for clones. They can also deepen researchers’ understanding of the plant and help to identify reasons behind why some seed batches develop into gardens.
Researchers studied 30 marijuana strains from dispensaries in California, Maryland, and South Dakota. Two genetic groups were identified. Both groups showed strong statistical support. However, the genetic groups did not correspond to the commonly reported marijuana types.
Origins
During the past millennia, Cannabis has been used for medicinal purposes. But the incorporation of Cannabis-derived drugs into modern western medicine has been hampered by its narcotic status.
Cannabis is a multi-use plant genus that evolved in different environments. Some varieties thrived in mountainous regions, while others adapted to tropical jungle conditions. Similarly, some Sativa varieties were adapted to colder temperatures and others grew naturally in warm climates.
Genetics determine cannabis plants’ appearance and growth. In addition, environmental factors influence various traits. These aspects include shape, color, and growth rate. Changes in temperature, potency, and foliage density can alter a plant’s phenotype.
A recent study investigated the origins of cannabis phenotype. The researchers studied thirty marijuana strains from dispensaries in three states. Their results were highly statistically significant, dividing samples into two genetic groups.
Expression Only After Flowering
Several studies have explored the transcriptional changes that occur during the flowering time in plants. Some of these have been done on simple cell types and others on more complex tissues.
A recent study using high-throughput RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) identified a number of genes with flowering-time-related functions. One of these functions is the production of a CCAAT-binding TF (NF-YA4). Another was a flowering time repressor (SNZ)47, which showed a decrease in H3K4me3 levels at the TSS.
In addition, a number of studies have looked at how epigenetic processes can regulate flowering time locally. One of these is a conserved pathway that confers day-length responses. Another is the vernalization pathway, which regulates flowering in response to prolonged cold.
A number of genes, including SOC1, FD, and LUX ARRHYTHMO, have been identified as having flowering time-related functions. These genes are involved in a complex genetic circuit that encodes transcriptional co-regulators. The CCA1 component of this circuit is part of a central circadian oscillator, which is responsible for regulating the synchronization of gene expression.
Detection Of Interval Overlapping The CBDAS Locus
Detecting intervals that overlap is a common task on heterogeneous genomic data. Most tools impose restrictions on the nested intervals. However, there are a handful of tools that have a more nimble solution. The most notable of these tools is BEDTools. This tool can easily be configured to find overlapping intervals from heterogeneous data. It also incorporates a cleverly designed set of algorithms to test the best combinations of data sets to find the optimal combination. Moreover, it allows for the discovery of new sequences of interest. It is a must-have tool for any cannabis enthusiast or geneticist.
One of the most interesting findings was that the CBDAS and THCAS loci were linked in a genetic cascade that shifted the CBD and THC phenotypes. In order to quantify this phenotype, we constructed a large composite linkage map, comprising ten linkage groups, each corresponding to a separate chromosome. The resultant map is more than 2 million nucleotides in length. It is also one of the most detailed of its kind to date.
Cloning Ensures Maximum Consistency and Efficiency in Choosing the Top Weed Phenotype
Identifying the genetic variation in a phenotype is an important step in the process of determining its traits. This can be done through the use of next-generation sequencing (NGS)-based tools.
A comprehensive genomics-based assessment of cannabis germplasm will help expand genetic diversity in the crop. This will increase the efficiency of improving the crop’s traits.
Researchers examined thirty marijuana strains from dispensaries in three states. They found genetic inconsistencies in the samples. In addition, the genetic identities of these samples did not correspond with commonly reported marijuana types. Several samples were found to be clones only.
The researchers used a method called Lynch & Ritland analysis to examine the genetic similarity of the samples. The pairwise relatedness value is calculated and then converted into a heat map. The heat map is green if the relatedness is close to one, while purple indicates the lowest relatedness value (-1.09).
The researchers found that genetic inconsistency was widespread among the strains and that some samples were clearly differentiated from others. For instance, eight of the thirty samples were clones only. In addition, the “Girl Scout Cookies” sample showed little genetic cohesiveness.
