[Sugar transport, metabolism, accumulation and their regulation in fruits]

Photosynthates transported into fruits are mainly in the form of sucrose in most fruit tree species; but sorbitol takes the place of sucrose in woody Rosaceae plants. The transport of sugars across the plasma membrane from apoplastic space into cells is mediated by sugar transporters. The fact that gene expression of sugar transporters is upregulated just before and during sugar accumulation suggests the participation of sugar transporters in sugar accumulation of fruit. The sucrose-metabolizing enzymes participate in four futile cycles that involve sugar transport between cytosol, vacuole, amyloplast and apoplast. The increase in SS (sucrose synthase) and SPS (sucrose phosphate synthase) activities and mRNA levels during maturation parallels the increase in sugar accumulation indicates that the sucrose-metabolizing enzymes have important roles on sugar accumulation in fruits. The prerequisite for rapid accumulation of sugar in fruit is restriction of hexose catabolism and promotion of its synthesis. In woody Rosaceae plants, the fact that sucrose metabolism is also quite active in fruit suggests that sorbitol and sucrose probably play similar roles in fruit development. Sugars as signal molecules regulate the expression of genes involved in sugar transport and metabolism. Sugar transport, metabolism and accumulation are also regulated by natural environmental factors and cultural practices. The increase in sugar content of tomato fruit in acid invertase gene antisense-inhibited plants provides promising prospect of genetic engineering as a potential effective technique in regulation of sugar accumulation in fruits. Thus, the sugar content of fruit is determined by both intrinsic and extrinsic factors. The future research works will be focused on elucidating the mechanism of sugar signal and other intrinsic signals as well as extrinsic signals including nutrients, plant hormones and physical factors on sugar transport, metabolism and accumulation and the interrelationship among them.