Progress in the Study of Proteins Related to Photosynthetic Product Transport in Plants

doi:10.13560/j.cnki.biotech.bull.1985.2025-0494

Abstract

Abstract:

The transport of photosynthetic products is a critical process in plant growth and development, involving multiple specialized transporters that play essential roles in maintaining normal plant metabolism, regulating energy allocation, and facilitating nutrient exchange between source and sink tissues. Recent years have witnessed significant advances in research on sugar transporters. Sucrose transporters (SUT) and sugars will eventually be exported transporters (SWEET) primarily mediate sucrose translocation between different plant tissues and organs, while monosaccharide transporters (MST) facilitate transmembrane monosaccharide transport. Invertases (INV) and sucrose synthases (SUS) participate in sucrose hydrolysis and synthesis, thereby regulating the transport of photosynthetic assimilates within plants. The coordinated action of these proteins is crucial for controlling the allocation and metabolism of photosynthetic products, with profound implications for plant responses to environmental changes and yield optimization. This review summarizes major transporters associated with photosynthetic product transport in plants, highlighting the biological functions and molecular mechanisms of sucrose transporters, SWEET proteins, invertases, and related proteins across diverse plant species. It further explores their potential applications in plant development, stress resistance, and yield regulation. Finally, this review aims to provide new theoretical foundations and practical strategies for enhancing crop productivity and advancing agricultural production.

Key words: SUT, SWEET, MST, INV, SUS

LYU Ruo-tong, SUN Jing, LI Xin-ying, WANG Xu-jing, AI Peng-fei, WANG Yan-wei. Progress in the Study of Proteins Related to Photosynthetic Product Transport in Plants[J]. Biotechnology Bulletin, 2025, 41(10): 43-53.

Figures/Tables 3

References 89

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