Frontiers in Plant Science (Oct 2021)

Identification of the Histone Deacetylases Gene Family in Hemp Reveals Genes Regulating Cannabinoids Synthesis

  • Liu Yang,
  • Liu Yang,
  • Xiangxiao Meng,
  • Shilin Chen,
  • Jun Li,
  • Wei Sun,
  • Weiqiang Chen,
  • Sifan Wang,
  • Huihua Wan,
  • Guangtao Qian,
  • Xiaozhe Yi,
  • Juncan Li,
  • Yaqin Zheng,
  • Ming Luo,
  • Shanshan Chen,
  • Xia Liu,
  • Yaolei Mi

DOI
https://doi.org/10.3389/fpls.2021.755494
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 12

Abstract

Read online

Histone deacetylases (HDACs) play crucial roles nearly in all aspects of plant biology, including stress responses, development and growth, and regulation of secondary metabolite biosynthesis. The molecular functions of HDACs have been explored in depth in Arabidopsis thaliana, while little research has been reported in the medicinal plant Cannabis sativa L. Here, we excavated 14 CsHDAC genes of C. sativa L that were divided into three relatively conserved subfamilies, including RPD3/HDA1 (10 genes), SIR2 (2 genes), and HD2 (2 genes). Genes associated with the biosynthesis of bioactive constituents were identified by combining the distribution of cannabinoids with the expression pattern of HDAC genes in various organs. Using qRT-PCR and transcription group analysis, we verified the expression of candidate genes in different tissues. We found that the histone inhibitor Trichostatin A (TSA) affected the expression of key genes in the cannabinoid metabolism pathway and the accumulation of synthetic precursors, which indirectly indicates that histone inhibitor may regulate the synthesis of active substances in C. sativa L.

Keywords