Flowers of Cannabis sativa L. are densely covered with glandular trichomes containing cannabis resin that is used for medicinal and recreational purposes. The highly productive glandular trichomes have been described as 'biofactories.' In this review, we use this analogy to highlight recent advances in cannabis cell biology, metabolomics, and transcriptomics. The biofactory is built by epidermal outgrowths that differentiate into peltate-like glandular trichome heads, consisting of a disc of interconnected secretory cells with unique cellular structures. Cannabinoid and terpenoid products are warehoused in the extracellular storage cavity. Finally, multicellular stalks raise the glandular heads above the epidermis, giving cannabis flower their frosty appearance. Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.
Jessica Hancock, Samuel J Livingston, Lacey Samuels. Building a biofactory: Constructing glandular trichomes in Cannabis sativa. Current opinion in plant biology. 2024 Aug;80:102549
PMID: 38761520
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