Sugar Translocation
Sugar Translocation - Related Videos
12:27
Measuring Peptide Translocation into Large Unilamellar Vesicles
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Cited by 9 •
2012
This protocol details a method for the quantitative measure of peptide translocation into large unilamellar lipid vesicles. This method also provides information about the rate of membrane translocation and can be used to identify peptides that efficiently and spontaneously cross lipid bilayers.
02:10
Phloem and Sugar Transport
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2026
Like many living organisms, plants have tissues that specialize in specific plant functions. For example, shoots are well adapted to rapid growth, while roots are structured to acquire resources efficiently. However, sugar production is primarily restricted to the photosynthetic tissues that reside in the leaves of angiosperm plants. Sugar and other resources are transported from photosynthetic cells to other specialized tissues by a process called translocation.Within a plant, tissues that...
11:16
Progressive-ratio Responding for Palatable High-fat and High-sugar Food in Mice
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Cited by 70 •
2012
The present report details the protocol employed to measure the rewarding effects of high-fat food in mice using a progressive ratio operant conditioning task.
01:10
Sugars as Energy Storage Molecules
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2023
Sugar (a simple carbohydrate) metabolism (chemical reactions) is a classic example of the many cellular processes that use and produce energy. Living things consume sugar as a major energy source because sugar molecules have considerable energy stored within their bonds. Consumed carbohydrates have their origins in photosynthesizing organisms like plants. During photosynthesis, plants use the energy of sunlight to convert carbon dioxide gas into sugar molecules, like glucose. Because this...
05:39
Quantitative Measurement of GLUT4 Translocation to the Plasma Membrane by Flow Cytometry
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Cited by 20 •
2010
This protocol describes a rapid technique to quantify the translocation of GLUT4 from the cytoplasm to the plasma membrane of cells by flow cytometry.
FAQs
Companion cells actively load sucrose into sieve tubes, which lowers the surrounding water potential. Water then enters the phloem from the xylem, increasing pressure within the sieve tubes. That pressure difference provides the driving force for bulk flow toward sink tissues. Loading therefore helps establish the gradient that moves the sugar-containing solution.
The xylem supplies the water that enters sieve tubes after sucrose loading. This water uptake follows the lowered water potential created by sucrose accumulation, helping raise phloem pressure. The xylem therefore contributes indirectly to sugar movement: it provides water for pressure-driven flow rather than serving as the main pathway for sucrose.
Photosynthetic tissues function as sources because they provide soluble sugars, whereas growing or storage tissues act as sinks because they receive them. This source-sink relationship determines the direction of movement through the phloem. It also links sugar transport with plant development, including growth, fruit and seed formation, and storage-organ development.
At a sink, sugars are unloaded from the phloem and then either used or stored. Use supports respiration and growth, while storage contributes to organs specialized for accumulation. This final step converts vascular transport into a biological outcome, connecting translocation with growth, fruit and seed development, and formation of storage organs.
Examining how sugars move between sources and sinks helps researchers investigate crop productivity and resource allocation. The process shows how photosynthetic output is distributed among growing tissues, fruits, seeds, and storage organs. It also provides a framework for studying stress responses, because altered distribution can change which tissues receive sugars and support growth or storage.
Effects are most evident in tissues that depend on imported sugars. Delivery supports respiration and growth, while developing fruits and seeds require translocated sugars during formation. Storage organs likewise depend on allocation into reserves. Consequently, sugar translocation links photosynthesis in source tissues with the plant’s developmental outcomes and its ability to form storage organs.