MeSUT1a is essential for sucrose transport and apoplastic phloem loading in cassava ( Manihot esculenta Crantz)
Clicks: 3
ID: 316471
2026
Article Quality & Performance Metrics
Overall Quality
Not rated
Combines reader engagement with the AI quality analysis. This
article has not been analysed, so there is no overall score —
reader engagement is measured and shown alongside.
Reader Engagement
Emerging Content
0.6
/100
3 views
2 readers
AI Quality Assessment
Not analyzed
Readership in this journal
EmergingRanked #443 of 513 articles by views in Plant physiology and biochemistry : PPB
Most read
Least read
Bar heights use a square-root scale. Only the 120 most-read articles are drawn; the journal has 513 in total.
Mint this article as an NFT
Not yet mintedCreate a permanent, verifiable on-chain record of this article on the Scimatic Network. The NFT is held in your Journament account, and you can withdraw it to your own wallet at any time.
5
SUSD
one-off · no wallet required
Abstract
Cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz) exhibits high photosynthetic efficiency and remarkable starch accumulation in its storage roots. The effective loading of photosynthates into the phloem from mesophyll cells in leaves is a critical determinant of yield; however, this process remains poorly understood. In this study, we propose a theoretical model of apoplastic sucrose phloem loading in cassava based on a multitechnique approach. The concentration of primary photoassimilates in leaf veins, analyzed using a [14C]CO2 tracer, and the existence of few plasmodesmata between bundle sheath cells/phloem parenchyma cells and sieve element-companion cell (SE-CC) complexes in minor veins suggest characteristic apoplastic phloem loading in cassava. We identified five sucrose transporters (MeSUTs) in the cassava genome, among which MeSUT1a exhibited the highest expression and the strongest sucrose intake activity. Subcellular localization analyses showed that MeSUT1a specifically localizes in the plasma membrane of the SE-CC complexes and that sugar transporter (MeSWEET2a) localizes on parenchyma cells, suggesting potential functional synergy. Interference with MeSUT1a expression led to a reduction in sucrose loading efficiency by more than 50%, resulting in abnormal sucrose and transient starch accumulation. This interference subsequently impaired chloroplast development and leaf photosynthesis, ultimately reducing storage root yield and starch content. RNA-seq analysis of MeSUT1a transgenic lines further revealed remarkable transcriptional changes in genes associated with sugar transport, carbohydrate metabolism, and photosynthesis. These results establish that MeSUT1a is essential for driving sucrose phloem loading and plays a key role in the distribution of photosynthetic assimilates and the coordination of source-sink dynamics in cassava.
| Reference Key |
openalex_W7164031842
Use this key to autocite in the manuscript while using
SciMatic Manuscript Manager or Thesis Manager
|
|---|---|
| Authors | Xu Shen, Meizhen Hu, YJ Li, Haozheng Li, Ke Li, Weitao Mai, Sirong Jiang, YJ Li, Mengtao Li, Huaifang Zhang, Yajun Li, Xin Chen, H Y Wang, W M Wang |
| Journal | Plant physiology and biochemistry : PPB |
| Year | 2026 |
| DOI |
10.1093/plphys/kiag354
|
| URL | |
| Keywords | Keywords not found |
Citations
No citations found. To add a citation, contact the admin at info@scimatic.org
Comments
No comments yet. Be the first to comment on this article.