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Related Concept Videos

Phloem and Sugar Transport02:02

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Like many living organisms, plants have tissues that specialize in specific plant functions. For example, shoots are well adapted to rapid growth, while roots are structured to acquire resources efficiently. However, sugar production is primarily restricted to the photosynthetic cells that reside in the leaves of angiosperm plants. Sugar and other resources are transported from photosynthetic tissues to other specialized tissues by a process called translocation.
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Plasmodesmata in phloem: different gateways for different cargoes.

Jung-Youn Lee1, Margaret Frank2

  • 1Department of Plant and Soil Sciences, Delaware Biotechnology Institute, University of Delaware, Newark, DE 19711, USA.

Current Opinion in Plant Biology
|May 12, 2018
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Summary

Plant phloem transports sugars, nutrients, and macromolecules like proteins and RNAs. New research reveals how plasmodesmata control molecule movement, shedding light on the function of these mobile macromolecules in plants.

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Area of Science:

  • Plant Biology
  • Molecular Biology
  • Biochemistry

Background:

  • The phloem is crucial for long-distance transport of sugars and nutrients in vascular plants.
  • Phloem sap contains not only essential nutrients but also macromolecules like proteins, small RNAs, and mRNAs, whose functions are largely unknown.
  • Understanding the movement and fate of these mobile macromolecules is key to deciphering their roles.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the cellular origins and pathways of macromolecules within the phloem.
  • To explore the role of plasmodesmata in the entry and exit of molecules into and out of the phloem translocation stream.
  • To re-evaluate the potential functions of phloem-mobile macromolecules based on new discoveries.

Main Methods:

  • Analysis of plasmodesmal structure and function.
  • Studies on the unloading of various molecules in plant sinks.
  • Integration of findings to propose new functional roles for phloem-mobile macromolecules.

Main Results:

  • New discoveries highlight the critical role of plasmodesmata in regulating the movement of macromolecules.
  • Evidence suggests specific plasmodesmal structures and functions are involved in molecule unloading at the sink.
  • These findings challenge previous assumptions about phloem-mobile macromolecule transport and function.

Conclusions:

  • Plasmodesmata are central regulators of macromolecule trafficking within the plant vascular system.
  • The movement and unloading of phloem-mobile macromolecules are tightly controlled processes.
  • This research provides a new framework for understanding the diverse functions of these molecules in plant physiology.