Planta Med 2011; 77 - P_5
DOI: 10.1055/s-0031-1273534

Analysis of Genetic Diversity using SSR Markers and Cannabinoid Contents in Different Varieties of Cannabis sativa L.

S Chandra 1, H Lata 1, N Techen 1, Z Mehmadic 1, IA Khan 1, 2, 3, MA ElSohly 1, 4
  • 1National Center for Natural Products Research, School of Pharmacy, University of Mississippi, MS 38677, USA
  • 2Department of Pharmacognosy, University of Mississippi, MS 38677, USA
  • 3Department of Pharmacognosy, College of Pharmacy, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
  • 4Department of Pharmaceutics, School of Pharmacy, University of Mississippi, University, MS 38677, USA

Genetic markers separating Cannabis varieties have a practical utility for drug enforcement to connect marijuana samples with source populations and for pharmaceutical research to determine the identity of screened elite clones acquired from various sources. In the present study, we have reported simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers to differentiate Cannabis varieties. High THC yielding (drug type) varieties of Cannabis sativa, collected from different agro-climatic regions worldwide were grown from seeds, their high THC yielding female clones were screened and identified as mother plants using gas chromatography-flame ionization detection (GC-FID). Clones from the mother plants of different varieties were used as plant material to be tested. Using Cannabis sativa germplasm, a microsatellite-enriched library was created, 159 contigs were assembled and 93 repeats were detected. Thirty-nine markers were designed and screened against the clones of three different drug type varieties of Cannabis sativa. Using a set of seven amplified SSR markers, all the clones belonging to the different varieties tested were easily identified. The SSR markers developed here could assist in investigations for breeding programs and in the authentication of cannabis varieties used for pharmaceutical development.

Acknowledgement: This work was supported in part by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), National Institute of Health (NIH), Department of Health and Human Services, USA, Contract No. N01DA-10–7773.