A method for producing a cannabinoid by contacting cannabigerolic acid with a cannabinoid synthase orthologue. The cannabinoid synthase orthologue is from an organism other than Cannabis sativa. Also disclosed is a recombinant cell of Saccharomyces cerevisiae or Pichia pastoris that includes in its genome a nucleic acid encoding the above cannabinoid synthase orthologue. The cannabinoid synthase orthologue is expressed in the recombinant cell in an active form.

Described herein are variant, novel cannabinoid synthases, nucleic acids encoding same, and various uses thereof.

The present invention provides methods for producing cannabinoids and cannabinoid analogs as well as a system for producing these compounds. The inventive method is directed to contacting a compound according to Formula I or Formula II with a cannabinoid synthase. ##STR00001## Also described is a system for producing cannabinoids and cannabinoid analogs by contacting a THCA synthase with a cannabinoid precursor and modifying at least one property of the reaction mixture to influence the quantity formed of a first cannabinoid relative to the quantity formed of a second cannabinoid.

The methods and systems disclose enzymes that function to import malonic acid or malonates into a cell. The enzymes increase the output of precursor molecules by enriching certain pathways in the cell. The precursor molecules can be converted to cannabinoids. The enzymes are a family of proteins which have a majority of common alignments.

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.

The present disclosure provides methods and kits for characterizing Cannabis plants. Methods and kits of the present disclosure include detection/amplification of one or more enzymes involved in the production of cannabinoids, such as, for example, tetrahydrocannabinolic acid (THCA) synthase and/or cannabidiolic acid (CBDA) synthase.

Exemplary embodiments provided herein include genetically engineering microorganisms, such as yeast or bacteria, to produce cannabinoids by inserting genes that produce the appropriate enzymes for the metabolic production of a desired compound.

The present invention provides methods for producing cannabinoids and cannabinoid analogs as well as a system for producing these compounds. The inventive method is directed to contacting a compound according to Formula I or Formula II with a cannabinoid synthase. ##STR00001## Also described is a system for producing cannabinoids and cannabinoid analogs by contacting a THCA synthase with a cannabinoid precursor and modifying at least one property of the reaction mixture to influence the quantity formed of a first cannabinoid relative to the quantity formed of a second cannabinoid.

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.

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.