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The mechanism of phloem loading in rice (Oryza sativa)

Molecules and Cells volume 33, pages 431–438 (2012)Cite this article

Abstract

Carbohydrates, mainly sucrose, that are synthesized in source organs are transported to sink organs to support growth and development. Phloem loading of sucrose is a crucial step that drives long-distance transport by elevating hydrostatic pressure in the phloem. Three phloem loading strategies have been identified, two active mechanisms, apoplastic loading via sucrose transporters and symplastic polymer trapping, and one passive mechanism. The first two active loading mechanisms require metabolic energy, carbohydrate is loaded into the phloem against a concentration gradient. The passive process, diffusion, involves equilibration of sucrose and other metabolites between cells through plasmodesmata. Many higher plant species including Arabidopsis utilize the active loading mechanisms to increase carbohydrate in the phloem to higher concentrations than that in mesophyll cells. In contrast, recent data revealed that a large number of plants, especially woody species, load sucrose passively by maintaining a high concentration in mesophyll cells. However, it still remains to be determined how the worldwide important cereal crop, rice, loads sucrose into the phloem in source organs. Based on the literature and our results, we propose a potential strategy of phloem loading in rice. Elucidation of the phloem loading mechanism should improve our understanding of rice development and facilitate its manipulation towards the increase of crop productivity.

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Affiliations

  1. Graduate School of Biotechnology and Crop Biotech Institute, Kyung Hee University, Yongin, 446-701, Korea

    Joon-Seob Eom & Jong-Seong Jeon

  2. Division of Bioscience and Bioinformatics, Myongji University, Yongin, 449-728, Korea

    Sang-Bong Choi

  3. Plant Biology Department, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN, 55108, USA

    John M. Ward

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  1. Joon-Seob Eom
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  2. Sang-Bong Choi
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  3. John M. Ward
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  4. Jong-Seong Jeon
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Correspondence to Jong-Seong Jeon.

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Eom, JS., Choi, SB., Ward, J.M. et al. The mechanism of phloem loading in rice (Oryza sativa). Mol Cells 33, 431–438 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10059-012-0071-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10059-012-0071-9

Keywords

  • diffusion
  • phloem loading
  • rice
  • sucrose
  • sucrose transporter