Sucrose Metabolism and Regulatory Mechanisms in Plants

Sucrose serves as the principal photoassimilate in most higher plants, acting both as a mobile carbohydrate for long‐distance transport and as a signalling molecule that coordinates growth, development and stress responses. In source leaves, sucrose is synthesised from triose phosphates via a sequential action of sucrose phosphate synthase and sucrose phosphate phosphatase. Once loaded into the phloem, sucrose is translocated to sink organs, where it undergoes cleavage by sucrose synthase or by invertases located in the cell wall, cytosol or vacuole. The relative activities of these enzymes govern the partitioning of carbon into starch, cell wall polymers, respiration and various biosynthetic pathways. Regulation occurs at multiple levels, encompassing transcriptional control of key genes, post-translational modifications, subcellular targeting and interaction with small inhibitory proteins. These mechanisms collectively modulate source–sink balance, influence biomass accumulation and underpin tolerance to abiotic and biotic stresses, making sucrose metabolism a critical determinant of crop yield and quality.

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Sucrose Metabolism and Regulatory Mechanisms in Plants publication trend

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Technical terms

Sucrose: A disaccharide composed of glucose and fructose, serving as the main transport form of carbohydrates in plants.

Source tissues: Photosynthetically active organs, typically mature leaves, that synthesise and export sucrose.

Sink tissues: Non-photosynthetic or storage organs—such as roots, fruits or seeds—that import and metabolise sucrose.

Sucrose synthase (SuSy): A reversible glycosyltransferase that cleaves sucrose into fructose and UDP-glucose, linking sugar metabolism to cell wall and starch biosynthesis.

Invertase: An enzyme class that irreversibly hydrolyses sucrose into glucose and fructose, with isoforms located in the cell wall, cytosol or vacuole.

Sucrose phosphate synthase (SPS): A key enzyme catalysing the formation of sucrose-6-phosphate from UDP-glucose and fructose-6-phosphate, determining the rate of sucrose synthesis.

Invertase inhibitor: A small protein that binds to and suppresses invertase activity, modulating sucrose hydrolysis and sink strength post-translationally.

References

1. A vacuolar invertase gene SlVI modulates sugar metabolism and postharvest fruit quality and stress resistance in tomato. Horticulture Research (2024).
2. An Overview of Sucrose Synthases in Plants. Frontiers in Plant Science (2019).
3. Overexpression of Sucrose Phosphate Synthase Enhanced Sucrose Content and Biomass Production in Transgenic Sugarcane. Plants (2020).