Scientific Area
Decoding sexual plasticity in dioecious plant- Cannabis sativa as a case study
ID: 613 / 317
Category: Abstract
Track: Pending
Proposed Symposium Title: Decoding sexual plasticity in dioecious plant- Cannabis sativa as a case study
Authors:
Adrian S. Monthony1,2,3,4, Marilou Ledeuil5, Maxime de Ronne1,2,3,4, Olivia Carlson6, Susan Murch6, Davoud Torkamaneh1,2,3,4
Affiliations: 1 Département de phytologie, Université Laval, Québec, Canada 2 Institut de Biologie Intégrative et des Systèmes (IBIS), Université Laval, Québec, Canada 3 Centre de recherche et d'innovation sur les végétaux (CRIV), Université Laval, Québec, Canada 4 Institut intelligence et données (IID), Université Laval, Québec, Canada 5 Faculté des Sciences, Université Catholique de Lyon, Lyon, France 6 Chemistry, University of British Columbia, Kelowna, Canada
Abstract:
This research explores the phenomenon of sexual plasticity in Cannabis sativa L. (cannabis), wherein plants develop sex organs opposite to their sex chromosome karyotype. As a dioecious plant with a XX/XY sex chromosome complement, cannabis typically exhibits sex organ development concordant with its genetic sex. However, sexual plasticity has been observed in response to ethylene, leading us to hypothesize a key role of ethylene-related genes (ERGs) in controlling this plasticity. Despite the apparent critical role of ethylene, the interplay between phenotypic and chromosomal sex, and the ERGs involved in the biosynthesis and perception of ethylene remain largely unexplored. This study delineates the phenotypic effects of ethylene and its inhibition on cannabis, from seedling to flowering, while also detailing in silico and transcriptomic approaches that, for the first time, model the ethylene biosynthesis and signaling pathways in cannabis. We present the results of transcriptomic changes during flowering, where transcriptomes from plants treated with ethylene and its signaling inhibitors were analyzed over the course of floral induction. Together with metabolomic data from key ethylene precursors in our plants, we provide a detailed look at the role of ethylene biosynthesis and signaling during sexual development in cannabis. Our model elucidates the mechanisms by which ethylene and ERGs govern sex determination and plasticity in both XX and XY cannabis plants. Our research not only sheds light on the complex sexual development of cannabis but also offers a model for investigating sexual plasticity in other important dioecious plant species.