Sucrose transporter NtSUT4 from tobacco BY-2 involved in plant cell shape during miniprotoplast culture

J Plant Res. 2011 May;124(3):395-403. doi: 10.1007/s10265-010-0377-7. Epub 2010 Oct 13.

Abstract

Sucrose plays an important role in several cellular processes since it is a general source of metabolic energy, serves as a precursor for starch and cellulose synthesis, and is a metabolic starting point for carboxylate- and amino acid synthesis. While plant vacuole is the main cellular storage pool, where sucrose accumulates to high concentrations, only a small number of vacuolar sugar transporters have been identified and characterized to date. We initially identified a vacuolar sucrose transporter (NtSUT4) from tobacco BY-2 cells and established transgenic tobacco BY-2 cell lines that overexpress NtSUT4-GFP (BY-SUTG cells). Using a model system for synchronous cell elongation in miniprotoplasts (evacuolated cells) prepared from tobacco BY-2 cells, we found that NtSUT4-GFP overexpression inhibited cell growth towards the cell major axis. Moreover, under the same conditions, we found that the cell walls were well stained by calcofluor in BY-SUTG cells than in wild type BY-2 cells. These results suggest that NtSUT4 is involved in cell shape via sucrose homeostasis in plant cells.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Cell Line
  • Cell Membrane / metabolism
  • Cell Wall / metabolism
  • Cellulose / biosynthesis
  • Cloning, Molecular
  • Cytoplasm / metabolism
  • Genetic Complementation Test
  • Homeostasis
  • Membrane Transport Proteins / metabolism*
  • Nicotiana / cytology
  • Nicotiana / genetics
  • Nicotiana / metabolism*
  • Phylogeny
  • Plant Proteins / metabolism*
  • Plants, Genetically Modified / cytology
  • Plants, Genetically Modified / genetics
  • Plants, Genetically Modified / metabolism
  • Protoplasts / cytology
  • Sequence Analysis, Protein
  • Sucrose / metabolism*
  • Vacuoles / metabolism*

Substances

  • Membrane Transport Proteins
  • Plant Proteins
  • sucrose transport protein, plant
  • Sucrose
  • Cellulose