Evidence for the Presence of a Sucrose Carrier in Immature Sugar Beet Tap Roots

The objectives of this work were to determine the path of phloem unloading and if a sucrose carrier was present in young sugar beet (Beta vulgaris L.) taproots. The approach was to exploit the characteristics of the sucrose analog, 1'-fluorosucrose (F-sucrose) which is a poor substrate for acid invertase but is a substrate for sucrose synthase. Ten millimolar each of [(3)H]sucrose and [(14)C]F-sucrose were applied in a 1:1 ratio to an abraded region of an attached leaf for 6 hours. [(14)C]F-sucrose was translocated and accumulated in the roots at a higher rate than [(3)H]sucrose. This was due to [(3)H]sucrose hydrolysis along the translocation path. Presence of [(3)H]hexose and [(14)C]F-sucrose in the root apoplast suggested apoplastic sucrose unloading with its subsequent hydrolysis. Labeled F-sucrose uptake by root tissue discs exhibited biphasic kinetics and was inhibited by unlabeled sucrose, indicating that immature roots have the ability for carrier-mediated sucrose transport from the apoplast. Collectively, in vivo and in vitro data indicate that despite sucrose hydrolysis by the wall-bound invertase, sucrose hydrolysis is not entirely essential for sugar accumulation in this tissue.