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Planta Med 2018; 84(04): 214-220
DOI: 10.1055/s-0043-125087
Perspectives
Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York

Current Perspectives on Biotechnological Cannabinoid Production in Plants

Julia Schachtsiek
1   Laboratory of Technical Biochemistry, Department of Biochemical and Chemical Engineering, TU Dortmund University, Dortmund, Germany
,
Heribert Warzecha
2   Plant Biotechnology and Metabolic Engineering, Technische Universität Darmstadt, Darmstadt, Germany
,
Oliver Kayser
1   Laboratory of Technical Biochemistry, Department of Biochemical and Chemical Engineering, TU Dortmund University, Dortmund, Germany
,
Felix Stehle
1   Laboratory of Technical Biochemistry, Department of Biochemical and Chemical Engineering, TU Dortmund University, Dortmund, Germany
› Author Affiliations
Further Information

Publication History

received 28 September 2017
revised 27 November 2017

accepted 08 December 2017

Publication Date:
04 January 2018 (online)

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Abstract

The plant Cannabis sativa contains a number of psychoactive chemical compounds, the cannabinoids, which possess a significant pharmaceutical potential. Recently, the usage of Cannabis for medicinal purposes was legalized in many countries. Thus, the study on the influence of different cannabinoids in combination with other Cannabis-derived compounds with respect to the treatment of various diseases becomes increasingly important. Besides the production of distinct cannabinoids in a heterologous host, like tobacco or yeast, transgenic Cannabis plants would be a suitable alternative to modify and therefore optimize the cannabinoid profile. This perspective highlights the current efforts on Cannabis cell culture systems, in vitro propagation, and transformation of the plant and reveals the resulting opportunities concerning biotechnological production of cannabinoids. Furthermore, alternative platform organisms for the heterologous production of cannabinoids, like tobacco, are considered and evaluated.

Key words

Cannabis sativa - Cannabaceae - synthetic biology - metabolic engineering - biotechnology - cell culture - tobacco

Supporting Information

    A detailed description of the used transformation method is given in the supporting information.

  • Supporting Information
 

  • References

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