Investigating Cannabis sativa L. gene expression through housekeeping genes and gene coexpression networks

Abstract

Cannabis sativa L. is a versatile crop with applications ranging from medicinal products to industrial materials. Despite growing interest in cannabis transcriptomics, comprehensive studies of gene expression in this species remain limited. Here, we explore cannabis transcriptomics through two complementary approaches: the identification and prioritization of housekeeping (HK) genes for qRT-PCR normalization and the construction of a genome-wide gene coexpression network (GCN) using publicly available RNA-Seq data. Based on expression stability criteria (i.e. log mean TPM [≥] 6, log variance < 0.3), we proposed the optimal HK genes and designed qRT-PCR primers for them. Primer specificity was verified in silico using the Jamaican Lion mother + Y genome. In parallel, to explore the non HK gene expression, we constructed a GCN comprising 32 coexpression modules, which was then analyzed for tissue-specific expression patterns, transcription factor (TF), and functional enrichment. Several modules were significantly correlated with cannabis tissues such as flowers and bast fibres and were linked to key processes, including photoperiod sensitivity, stress responses, and vegetative-to-reproductive phase transitions. Together, our results help understand the functions and maximize the use of HK genes in molecular biology and reveal coexpression modules that constitute critical genetic circuits underlying cannabis physiology.