Acta Physiologiae Plantarum

, Volume 33, Issue 4, pp 1085–1091 | Cite as

The response of terpenoids to exogenous gibberellic acid in Cannabis sativa L. at vegetative stage

Original Paper
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Abstract

In this study the influence of gibberellic acid (GA3) on plastidic and cytosolic terpenoids and on two key enzymes, 1-deoxy-d-xylulose-5-phosphate synthase (DXS) and 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase (HMGR), for terpenoid biosynthesis was compared in vegetative cannabis plants. Treatment with GA3 resulted in a decrease of DXS activity in comparison with the control plants. The amount of chlorophylls a, b and total carotenoids declined when plants treated by GA3 in a concentration dependent manner. The α-tocopherol content of cannabis plants decreased in 50 μM GA3 treatment and increased in 100 μM GA3 treatment. Exogenous GA3 caused an increase in HMGR activity. Concomitant with this result, the amount of squalene and phytosterols increased with GA3 treatment. The amount of THC and CBD did not change at 50 μM GA3 treatment, but applying of 100 μM GA3 increased THC and CBD content in leaf plant in comparison with control plants. GA3 treatment declined number and percentage of monoterpenes in treated plants. Also the number of sesquiterpenes decreased in response to GA3 treatment but among the remainder of them, the amount of some sesquiterpenes decreased and some sesquiterpenes increased with GA3 treatment. Our results showed that GA3 treatment had opposite effect on primary terpenoid biosynthesis by the plastidic 2C-methyl-d-erythritol 4-phosphate (MEP) and mevalonate (MVA) pathways. But secondary terpenoids showed different response to GA3 treatment probably due to interference of two biosynthetic pathways in their formation.

Keywords

α-Tocopherol Δ9-Tetrahydrocannabinol Gibberellic acid Phytosterols Terpenoids 

Abbreviations

GA3

Gibberellic acid

THC

Δ9-Tetrahydrocannabinol

HMGR

3-Hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase

DXS

1-Deoxy-d-xylulose 5-phosphate synthase

MEP

2-Methyl-d-erythritol-4-phosphate

MVA

Mevalonate

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Copyright information

© Franciszek Górski Institute of Plant Physiology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Kraków 2010

Authors and Affiliations

  • Hakimeh Mansouri
    • 1
  • Zahra Asrar
    • 1
  • Ryszard Amarowicz
    • 2
  1. 1.Department of BiologyBahonar UniversityKermanIran
  2. 2.Division of Food Science, Institute of Animal Reproduction and Food ResearchPolish Academy of SciencesOlsztynPoland

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