In an aspect, the disclosure provides methods for making neurotransmitters in a host organism. The neurotransmitters can be cannabinoids and derivatives of cannabinoids. The host cells can be microalgae, fungi or other host cells. In a related aspect, the disclosure provides host cells engineered to have biochemical pathways for making neurotransmitters such as cannabinoids.

A method is provided for biosynthetic production of cannabinoids in microorganisms from a carbon source precursor. This method describes the genetic modifications needed to engineer microorganisms to produce cannabinoids as well as a method for identifying and quantifying cannabinoids from fermentation broth. A system is also provided for tuning the method to produce different cannabinoids of interest by systematically modulating the enzymes encoded by the genetic modifications introduced in the microorganism.

A method of increasing the cannabinoid levels in a genetically modified Cannabis sativa plant includes genetically modifying the plant to induce the overexpression of the gene that controls the expression of tetrahydrocannabinolic acid (THCA) synthase and/or cannabidiolic acid (CBDA) synthase. The overexpression of THCA synthase and CBDA synthase catalyzes an increased synthesis of cannabigerolic acid to tetrahydrocannabinolic acid and cannabidiolic acid, as well as the cannabinoids (3aR)-2,4,4-trimethyl-7-pentyl-3,3a,4,9b-tetrahydrocyclopenta[c]chromen-9-ol and 2-((1R,5R)-3-methyl-5 -(prop-1-en-2-yl)cyclopent-2-en-1-yl)-5-pentylbenzene-1,3-diol. Pharmaceutical compositions comprising the modified cannabinoids produced by the transgenic Cannabis sativa plant or prepared synthetically are used to treat various diseases and conditions.

The present technology provides trichome specific promoters of cannabinoid biosynthesis enzyme genes from Cannabis, nucleotide sequences of the trichome specific promoters, and uses of the promoters for modulating the production of cannabinoids and other compounds in organisms. The present technology also provides chimeric genes, vectors, and transgenic cells and organisms, including plant cells and plants, comprising the trichome specific promoters. Also provided are methods for expressing nucleic acid sequences in cells and organisms using the trichome specific promoters.

Provided herein are methods and compositions for producing terpenoids in a host cell. In some cases, the terpenoids are cannabinoids.

A method for developing seeds for CBGa dominant Cannabis plants includes self-pollinating a female Cannabis plant having at least one defective THCa synthase allele to produce seeds, and collecting the seeds produced through self-pollinating. A method for developing seeds for CBGa dominant Cannabis plants includes crossbreeding a Cannabis plant having at least one defective CBDa synthase allele with a Cannabis plant having at least one of an active THCa or CBDa synthase allele to produce a CBGa dominant plant, and collecting the seeds produced through the crossbreeding. A Cannabis seed, developed from one of self-pollinating a Cannabis plant having a defective CBDa synthase allele or crossbreeding the Cannabis plant with another Cannabis plant that has one of either an active THCa or an active CBDa synthase allele resulting in a CBGa dominant seed.

Compositions and methods for providing desired cannabinoid content in cannabis plants. More particularly, the invention relates to compositions and methods for using cannabinoid synthase paralogs as guidance for breeding cannabis plants with a desired cannabinoid content, including but not limited to cultivars, varieties, lines and methods of breeding the same for commercial use.

In an aspect, the disclosure provides methods for making neurotransmitters in a host organism. The neurotransmitters can be cannabinoids and derivatives of cannabinoids. The host cells can be microalgae, fungi or other host cells. In a related aspect, the disclosure provides host cells engineered to have biochemical pathways for making neurotransmitters such as cannabinoids.

The present disclosure relates to the production of cannabinoids in yeast. In as aspect there is provided a genetically modified yeast comprising: one or more GPP producing genes and optionally, one or more GPP pathway genes; two or more olivetolic acid producing genes; one or more cannabinoid precursor or cannabinoid producing genes; one or more Hexanoyl-CoA producing genes, and at least 5% dry weight of fatty acids or fats.

This document relates to using bidirectional, multi-enzymatic scaffolds to biosynthesize cannabinoids in recombinant hosts.