Transcriptomic and metabolomic analyses reveal the differential accumulation of phenylpropanoids and terpenoids in hemp autotetraploid and its diploid progenitor

BACKGROUND: Cannabis sativa, a dioecious plant that has been cultivated worldwide for thousands of years, is known for its secondary metabolites, especially cannabinoids, which possess several medicinal effects. In this study, we investigated the autopolyploidization effects on the biosynthesis and accumulation of these metabolites, transcriptomic and metabolomic analyses were performed to explore the gene expression and metabolic variations in industrial hemp autotetraploids and their diploid progenitors. RESULTS: Through these analyses, we obtained 1,663 differentially expressed metabolites and 1,103 differentially expressed genes. Integrative analysis revealed that phenylpropanoid and terpenoid biosynthesis were regulated by polyploidization. No substantial differences were found in the cannabidiol or tetrahydrocannabinol content between tetraploids and diploids. Following polyploidization, some transcription factors, including nine bHLH and eight MYB transcription factors, affected the metabolic biosynthesis as regulators. Additionally, several pivotal catalytic genes, such as flavonol synthase/flavanone 3-hydroxylase, related to the phenylpropanoid metabolic pathway, were identified as being modulated by polyploidization. CONCLUSIONS: This study enhances the overall understanding of the impact of autopolyploidization in C. sativa and the findings may encourage the application of polyploid breeding for increasing the content of important secondary metabolites in industrial hemp. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12870-023-04630-z.