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Plant and Cell Physiology Advance Access published online on July 15, 2005
Plant and Cell Physiology, doi:10.1093/pcp/pci166
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Plant and Cell Physiology 2005 © The Japanese Society of Plant Physiologists (JSPP); all rights reserved.
Received February 23, 2005
Accepted July 8, 2005

Short Communication

Tetrahydrocannabinolic Acid Synthase, the Enzyme Controlling Marijuana Psychoactivity, Is Secreted into the Storage Cavity of the Glandular Trichomes

Supaart Sirikantaramas 1, Futoshi Taura 2*, Yumi Tanaka 2, Yu Ishikawa 2, Satoshi Morimoto 2, and Yukihiro Shoyama 2

1 Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Kyushu University, 3-1-1 Maidashi, Higashi-ku, Fukuoka, 812-8582, Japan; Present address: Department of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chiba University, Chiba, 263-8522, Japan
2 Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Kyushu University, 3-1-1 Maidashi, Higashi-ku, Fukuoka, 812-8582, Japan

* To whom correspondence should be addressed.
Futoshi Taura, E-mail: tauraf{at}shoyaku.phar.kyushu-u.ac.jp


  Abstract

Tetrahydrocannabinolic acid (THCA) synthase is the enzyme responsible for the production of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the psychoactive component of marijuana (Cannabis sativa L.). We suggest herein that THCA is biosynthesized in the storage cavity of the glandular trichomes based on following observations. (1) The exclusive expression of THCA synthase was confirmed in the secretory cells of glandular trichomes by RT-PCR analysis. (2) THCA synthase activity was detected in the storage cavity content. (3) Transgenic tobacco expressing THCA synthase fused to GFP showed fluorescence in the trichome head corresponding to the storage cavity. These results also showed that secretory cells of the glandular trichomes secrete not only metabolites but also biosynthetic enzyme.

Keywords: Biosynthesis; Glandular trichome; Localization; Marijuana; Tetrahydrocannabinol; Tetrahydrocannabinolic acid synthase.
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