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Spring bud growth depends on sugar delivery by xylem and water recirculation by phloem Münch flow in Juglans regia

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Main conclusion

During spring, bud growth relies on long-distance transport of remotely stored carbohydrates. A new hypothesis suggests this transport is achieved by the interplay of xylem and phloem.

During the spring, carbohydrate demand of developing buds often exceeds locally available storage, thus requiring the translocation of sugars from distant locations like limbs, stems and roots. Both the phloem and xylem have the capacity for such long-distance transport, but their functional contribution is unclear. To address this ambiguity, the spatial and temporal dynamics of carbohydrate availability in extension shoots of Juglans regia L. were analyzed. A significant loss of extension shoot carbohydrates in remote locations was observed while carbohydrate availability near the buds remained unaffected. This pattern of depletion of carbohydrate reserves supports the notion of long-distance translocation. Girdling and dye perfusion experiments were performed to assess the role of phloem and xylem in the transport of carbohydrate and water towards the buds. Girdling caused a decrease in non-structural carbohydrate concentration above the point of girdling and an unexpected concurrent increase in water content associated with impeded xylem transport. Based on experimental observations and modeling, we propose a novel mechanism for maintenance of spring carbohydrate translocation in trees where xylem transports carbohydrates and this transport is maintained with the recirculation of water by phloem Münch flow. Phloem Münch flow acts as a pump for generating water flux in xylem and allows for transport and mobilization of sugars from distal locations prior to leaves photosynthetic independence and in the absence of transpiration.

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Acknowledgements

We thank Theodore DeJong for comments on the manuscript. We thank Emilio Lacas and Guillaume Theroux for advice on statistical analysis. The work presented here was supported by the California Pistachio Research Board, the Almond Board of California, and the California Walnut Board.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Plant Sciences, University of California, Davis One Shields Avenue, Davis, CA, 95616, USA

    Aude Tixier, Jessica Orozco, Bruce Lampinen & Maciej A. Zwieniecki

  2. Agricultural Research Organization (ARO), Gilat Center, Petah Tikva, Israel

    Or Sperling

  3. Department of Agricultural and Forest Sciences, University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy

    Adele Amico Roxas

  4. Escuela de Agronomía, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Valparaíso, Casilla 4D, Quillota, Chile

    Sebastian Saa

  5. School of Forestry and Environmental Sciences, Yale University, 195 Prospect St., New Haven, CT, 06511, USA

    J. Mason Earles

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  1. Aude Tixier
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Correspondence to Aude Tixier.

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Tixier, A., Sperling, O., Orozco, J. et al. Spring bud growth depends on sugar delivery by xylem and water recirculation by phloem Münch flow in Juglans regia . Planta 246, 495–508 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00425-017-2707-7

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