Suppressive effects of 2-thiouracil on differentiation and flowering in Cannabis sativa.

The pyrimidine, 2-thiouracil, partly annuls the effect of photoperiodic induction in the short-day plant, Cannabis sativa L., when it is supplied at the onset of the dark period in quantities of 15-30 microg per plant. This treatment also produces aberrations in cellular differentiation in the leaves. Tracer studies show that 2-thiouracil becomes bound in cellular ribonucleic acid, which suggests that the effects on morphogenesis are due to interference with nucleic acid metabolism.