Cannabis Mitoviruses: An Introduction and State of Knowledge

VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Aug. 17, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Segra International Corp. ("Segra"), an agriculture technology company is pleased to announce the publishing of a landmark white paper addressing the recent widespread identification of mitoviruses in cannabis cultivars.

Segra's white paper authored by Dr John Brunstein titled "An Introduction and State of Knowledge" builds upon the work of two recent independent research groups employing metagenomic search techniques that have reported detection of Mitovirus family sequences in cannabis. This was something of a surprise, as mitoviruses were previously believed to only exist in fungi; however both research groups provide compelling evidence that the sequences detected are not due to trace fungal contamination.

Mitoviruses are highly unusual as biological entities go. In fact, even calling them a virus borders on misleading as they lack a capsid; combined with their use of the mitochondrial genetic code, they are unable to transmit in many of the ways more normal viruses do. Based on the recently published cannabis mitovirus (CaMV1) sequences, Segra developed a real-time PCR test and screened a subset of cultivars in the company's cultivar library for its presence. To date, 77% of cultivars screened have been detected as carrying CaMV1. This result was unequivocally confirmed by fragment size analysis and by sequencing of a selection of positive results. Analysis of the available data suggests that overall CaMV1 may be beneficial in cannabis plants under routine cultivation conditions, or at least have been unwittingly selected for by cannabis breeders historically. As larger data sets are obtained, this will be examined further by Segra and it is possible that individual cultivars and/or conditions where CaMV1 positivity has a detectable impact, positive or negative, may yet be identified.

"At Segra, our commitment to help inform and educate the cannabis industry about topics related to our areas of expertise is always front of mind," said Jamie Blundell, CEO of Segra. "When our researchers learned of this new discovery, we knew right away we needed to look closer. The prevalence of CaMV1 widespread across the cannabis genetic landscape is a truly fascinating discovery, and I would encourage everyone to read our recent white paper and learn more."

Download the white paper today: https://www.segra-intl.com/mitoviruses

About Segra International:

Segra is a Vancouver Canada based agriculture technology company offering plant tissue culture, plant genomics, and pathogen detection services to accelerate the advancement of the cannabis industry. Its proprietary technologies empower clients to drive financial performance and mitigate risk while exploring the next frontier of optimized cultivation practices. Segra has developed industrial-scale laboratories to produce Verified Segra Stocktm cannabis plantlets in collaboration with top breeders, and currently ships to licensed producers in Canada and a growing list of international destinations. Segra has assembled a world-class team of specialists in agronomy, molecular genetics, plant tissue culture, and regulatory compliance to support this vision. [email protected]