CsAGA1 and CsAGA2 Mediate RFO Hydrolysis in Partially Distinct Manner in Cucumber Fruits.

A Raffinose family oligosaccharides (RFOs) is one of the major translocated sugars in the vascular bundle of cucumber, but little RFOs can be detected in fruits. Alpha-galactosidases (α-Gals) catalyze the first catabolism step of RFOs. Six α-Gal genes exist in a cucumber genome, but their spatial functions in fruits remain unclear. Here, we found that RFOs were highly accumulated in vascular tissues. In phloem sap, the stachyose and raffinose content was gradually decreased, whereas the content of sucrose, glucose and fructose was increased from pedicel to fruit top. Three alkaline forms instead of acid forms of α-Gals were preferentially expressed in fruit vascular tissues and alkaline forms have stronger RFO-hydrolysing activity than acid forms. By inducible gene silencing of three alkaline forms of α-Gals, stachyose was highly accumulated in RNAi-CsAGA2 plants, while raffinose and stachyose were highly accumulated in RNAi-CsAGA1 plants. The content of sucrose, glucose and fructose was decreased in both RNAi-CsAGA1 and RNAi-CsAGA2 plants after ß-estradiol treatment. In addition, the fresh- and dry-weight of fruits were significantly decreased in RNAi-CsAGA1 and RNAi-CsAGA2 plants. In cucurbitaceous plants, the non-sweet motif within the promoter of ClAGA2 is widely distributed in the promoter of its homologous genes. Taken together, we found RFOs hydrolysis occurred in the vascular tissues of fruits. CsAGA1 and CsAGA2 played key but partly distinct roles in the hydrolysis of RFOs.

VISUAL-CC system uncovers the role of GSK3 as an orchestrator of vascular cell type ratio in plants.

The phloem transports photosynthetic assimilates and signalling molecules. It mainly consists of sieve elements (SEs), which act as "highways" for transport, and companion cells (CCs), which serve as "gates" to load/unload cargos. Though SEs and CCs function together, it remains unknown what determines the ratio of SE/CC in the phloem. Here we develop a new culture system for CC differentiation in Arabidopsis named VISUAL-CC, which almost mimics the process of the SE-CC complex formation. Comparative expression analysis in VISUAL-CC reveals that SE and CC differentiation tends to show negative correlation, while total phloem differentiation is unchanged. This varying SE/CC ratio is largely dependent on GSK3 kinase activity. Indeed, gsk3 hextuple mutants possess many more SEs and fewer CCs, whereas gsk3 gain-of-function mutants partially increase the CC number. Taken together, GSK3 activity appears to function as a cell-fate switch in the phloem, thereby balancing the SE/CC ratio.

Enzyme activity and structural features of three single-domain phloem cyclophilins from Brassica napus.

Cyclophilins (CYPs) are a group of ubiquitous prolyl cis/trans isomerases (PPIases). It was shown that plants possess the most diverse CYP families and that these are abundant in the phloem long-distance translocation stream. Since phloem exudate showed PPIase activity, three single-domain CYPs that occur in phloem samples from Brassica napus were characterised on functional and structural levels. It could be shown that they exhibit isomerase activity and that this activity is controlled by a redox regulation mechanism, which has been postulated for divergent CYPs. The structure determination by small-angle X-ray scattering experiments revealed a conserved globular shape. In addition, the high-resolution crystal structure of BnCYP19-1 was resolved and refined to 2.0 Å resolution, and the active sites of related CYPs as well as substrate binding were modelled. The obtained data and results support the hypothesis that single domain phloem CYPs are active phloem PPIases that may function as chaperones.

Spatially resolved metabolic analysis reveals a central role for transcriptional control in carbon allocation to wood.

The contribution of transcriptional and post-transcriptional regulation to modifying carbon allocation to developing wood of trees is not well defined. To clarify the role of transcriptional regulation, the enzyme activity patterns of eight central primary metabolism enzymes across phloem, cambium, and developing wood of aspen (Populus tremula L.) were compared with transcript levels obtained by RNA sequencing of sequential stem sections from the same trees. Enzymes were selected on the basis of their importance in sugar metabolism and in linking primary metabolism to lignin biosynthesis. Existing enzyme assays were adapted to allow measurements from ~1 mm3 sections of dissected stem tissue. These experiments provided high spatial resolution of enzyme activity changes across different stages of wood development, and identified the gene transcripts probably responsible for these changes. In most cases, there was a clear positive relationship between transcripts and enzyme activity. During secondary cell wall formation, the increases in transcript levels and enzyme activities also matched with increased levels of glucose, fructose, hexose phosphates, and UDP-glucose, emphasizing an important role for transcriptional regulation in carbon allocation to developing aspen wood. These observations corroborate the efforts to increase carbon allocation to wood by engineering gene regulatory networks.

ASN1-encoded asparagine synthetase in floral organs contributes to nitrogen filling in Arabidopsis seeds.

Despite a general view that asparagine synthetase generates asparagine as an amino acid for long-distance transport of nitrogen to sink organs, its role in nitrogen metabolic pathways in floral organs during seed nitrogen filling has remained undefined. We demonstrate that the onset of pollination in Arabidopsis induces selected genes for asparagine metabolism, namely ASN1 (At3g47340), GLN2 (At5g35630), GLU1 (At5g04140), AapAT2 (At5g19950), ASPGA1 (At5g08100) and ASPGB1 (At3g16150), particularly at the ovule stage (stage 0), accompanied by enhanced asparagine synthetase protein, asparagine and total amino acids. Immunolocalization confined asparagine synthetase to the vascular cells of the silique cell wall and septum, but also to the outer and inner seed integuments, demonstrating the post-phloem transport of asparagine in these cells to developing embryos. In the asn1 mutant, aberrant embryo cell divisions in upper suspensor cell layers from globular to heart stages assign a role for nitrogen in differentiating embryos within the ovary. Induction of asparagine metabolic genes by light/dark and nitrate supports fine shifts of nitrogen metabolic pathways. In transgenic Arabidopsis expressing promoterCaMV35S ::ASN1 fusion, marked metabolomics changes at stage 0, including a several-fold increase in free asparagine, are correlated to enhanced seed nitrogen. However, specific promoterNapin2S ::ASN1 expression during seed formation and a six-fold increase in asparagine toward the desiccation stage result in wild-type seed nitrogen, underlining that delayed accumulation of asparagine impairs the timing of its use by releasing amide and amino nitrogen. Transcript and metabolite profiles in floral organs match the carbon and nitrogen partitioning to generate energy via the tricarboxylic acid cycle, GABA shunt and phosphorylated serine synthetic pathway.

Sulla carnosa modulates root invertase activity in response to the inhibition of long-distance sucrose transport under magnesium deficiency.

Being the principal product of photosynthesis, sucrose is involved in many metabolic processes in plants. As magnesium (Mg) is phloem mobile, an inverse relationship between Mg shortage and sugar accumulation in leaves is often observed. Mg deficiency effects on carbohydrate contents and invertase activities were determined in Sulla carnosa Desf. Plants were grown hydroponically at different Mg concentrations (0.00, 0.01, 0.05 and 1.50 mM Mg) for one month. Mineral analysis showed that Mg contents were drastically diminished in shoots and roots mainly at 0.01 and 0.00 mM Mg. This decline was adversely associated with a significant increase of sucrose, fructose and mainly glucose in shoots of plants exposed to severe deficiency. By contrast, sugar contents were severely reduced in roots of these plants indicating an alteration of carbohydrate partitioning between shoots and roots of Mg-deficient plants. Cell wall invertase activity was highly enhanced in roots of Mg-deficient plants, while the vacuolar invertase activity was reduced at 0.00 mM Mg. This decrease of vacuolar invertase activity may indicate the sensibility of roots to Mg starvation resulting from sucrose transport inhibition. 14 CO2 labeling experiments were in accordance with these findings showing an inhibition of sucrose transport from source leaves to sink tissues (roots) under Mg depletion. The obtained results confirm previous findings about Mg involvement in photosynthate loading into phloem and add new insights into mechanisms evolved by S. carnosa to cope with Mg shortage in particular the increase of the activity of cell wall invertase.

A cucurbit androecy gene reveals how unisexual flowers develop and dioecy emerges.

Understanding the evolution of sex determination in plants requires identifying the mechanisms underlying the transition from monoecious plants, where male and female flowers coexist, to unisexual individuals found in dioecious species. We show that in melon and cucumber, the androecy gene controls female flower development and encodes a limiting enzyme of ethylene biosynthesis, ACS11. ACS11 is expressed in phloem cells connected to flowers programmed to become female, and ACS11 loss-of-function mutants lead to male plants (androecy). CmACS11 represses the expression of the male promoting gene CmWIP1 to control the development and the coexistence of male and female flowers in monoecious species. Because monoecy can lead to dioecy, we show how a combination of alleles of CmACS11 and CmWIP1 can create artificial dioecy.

Tomato ovary-to-fruit transition is characterized by a spatial shift of mRNAs for cell wall invertase and its inhibitor with the encoded proteins localized to sieve elements.

Central to understanding fruit development is to elucidate the processes mediating a successful transition from pre-pollination ovaries to newly set fruit, a key step in establishing fruit yield potential. In tomato, cell wall invertase (CWIN) LIN5 and its inhibitor INH1 are essential for fruit growth. However, the molecular and cellular basis by which they exert their roles in ovary-to-fruit transition remains unknown. To address this issue, we conducted a study focusing on ovaries and fruitlets at 2 days before and 2 days after anthesis, respectively. In situ hybridization analyses revealed that LIN5 and INH1 exhibited a dispersed expression in ovaries compared with their phloem-specific expression in fruitlets. Remarkably, LIN5 and INH1 proteins were immunologically co-localized to cell walls of sieve elements (SEs) in ovaries immediately prior to anthesis and in young fruitlets, but were undetectable in provascular bundles of younger ovaries. A burst in CWIN activity occurred during ovary-to-fruit transition. Interestingly, the ovaries, but not the fruitlets, exhibited high expression of a defective invertase, SldeCWIN1, an ortholog of which is known to enhance inhibition of INH on CWIN activity in tobacco. Imaging of a fluorescent symplasmic tracer indicated an apoplasmic phloem unloading pathway operated in ovaries, contrary to the previously observed symplasmic unloading pathway in fruit pericarp. These new data indicate that (1) a phloem-specific patterning of the CWIN and INH mRNAs is induced during ovary-to-fruit transition, and (2) LIN5 protein functions specifically in walls of SEs and increases its activity during ovary-to-fruit transition, probably to facilitate phloem unloading and to generate a glucose signal positively regulating cell division, hence fruit set.

Arabidopsis type I proton-pumping pyrophosphatase expresses strongly in phloem, where it is required for pyrophosphate metabolism and photosynthate partitioning.

Phloem loading is a critical process in plant physiology. The potential of regulating the translocation of photoassimilates from source to sink tissues represents an opportunity to increase crop yield. Pyrophosphate homeostasis is crucial for normal phloem function in apoplasmic loaders. The involvement of Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) type I proton-pumping pyrophosphatase (AVP1) in phloem loading was analyzed at genetic, histochemical, and physiological levels. A transcriptional AVP1 promoter::GUS fusion revealed phloem activity in source leaves. Ubiquitous AVP1 overexpression (35S::AVP1 cassette) enhanced shoot biomass, photoassimilate production and transport, rhizosphere acidification, and expression of sugar-induced root ion transporter genes (POTASSIUM TRANSPORTER2 [KUP2], NITRATE TRANSPORTER2.1 [NRT2.1], NRT2.4, and PHOSPHATE TRANSPORTER1.4 [PHT1.4]). Phloem-specific AVP1 overexpression (Commelina Yellow Mottle Virus promoter [pCOYMV]::AVP1) elicited similar phenotypes. By contrast, phloem-specific AVP1 knockdown (pCoYMV::RNAiAVP1) resulted in stunted seedlings in sucrose-deprived medium. We also present a promoter mutant avp1-2 (SALK046492) with a 70% reduction of expression that did not show severe growth impairment. Interestingly, AVP1 protein in this mutant is prominent in the phloem. Moreover, expression of an Escherichia coli-soluble pyrophosphatase in the phloem (pCoYMV::pyrophosphatase) of avp1-2 plants resulted in severe dwarf phenotype and abnormal leaf morphology. We conclude that the Proton-Pumping Pyrophosphatase AVP1 localized at the plasma membrane of the sieve element-companion cell complexes functions as a synthase, and that this activity is critical for the maintenance of pyrophosphate homeostasis required for phloem function.

ß-Glucosidase involvement in the bioactivation of glycosyl conjugates in plants: synthesis and metabolism of four glycosidic bond conjugates in vitro and in vivo.

Mobile glucose-pesticide conjugates in the phloem are often restricted by decreases in biological activity. However, plants can bioactivate endogenous glucosides, which are assumed as able to bioactivate exogenous conjugates. In this study, four glycosidic bonds (O-, S-, N-, and C-glycosidic bonds) of glucose-pesticide conjugates were designed and synthesized, and then metabolism assays were carried out in vitro and in vivo. Results showed that ß-glucosidases played a role in the hydrolysis of O-glycosidic bond conjugates in Ricinus communis L. The liberated aglycons possessed insecticidal activities against Plutella xylostella L. and Spodoptera litura F. These results could help establish methods of circumventing the mutual exclusivity of phloem mobility and biological activity by hydrolyzing endogenous ß-glucosidases.

N-feedback regulation is synchronized with nodule carbon alteration in Medicago truncatula under excessive nitrate or low phosphorus conditions.

The aim of the present study was to test the hypothesis that the higher nodule amino acid content induced under certain treatments may play a role in the N-feedback regulation of nitrogenase (EC 1.18.6.1) activity by restricting the carbon supply to the functioning nodules. Growing Medicago truncatula plants under sub-optimal phosphorus conditions or upon exposure to large supply of nitrate caused significant asparagine accumulation in nodules of the treated plants. In addition, there was a remarkable decline in the nodule succinate content under phosphorus deprivation while malate was tended to increase. Interestingly, the relative share of succinate in the symbiotic tissues was totally inhibited, i.e. reached zero, by excessive nitrate application. These results provide evidence that succinate might be greatly affected by asparagine content of the nodule fraction, thereby restricting cellular carbon supply to the functioning bacteroids which leads to down-regulation of nodule metabolism and nitrogenase activity.

Altered sucrose synthase and invertase expression affects the local and systemic sugar metabolism of nematode-infected Arabidopsis thaliana plants.

Sedentary endoparasitic nematodes of plants induce highly specific feeding cells in the root central cylinder. From these, the obligate parasites withdraw all required nutrients. The feeding cells were described as sink tissues in the plant's circulation system that are supplied with phloem-derived solutes such as sugars. Currently, there are several publications describing mechanisms of sugar import into the feeding cells. However, sugar processing has not been studied so far. Thus, in the present work, the roles of the sucrose-cleaving enzymes sucrose synthases (SUS) and invertases (INV) in the development of Heterodera schachtii were studied. Gene expression analyses indicate that both enzymes are regulated transcriptionally. Nematode development was enhanced on multiple INV and SUS mutants. Syncytia of these mutants were characterized by altered enzyme activity and changing sugar pool sizes. Further, the analyses revealed systemically affected sugar levels and enzyme activities in the shoots of the tested mutants, suggesting changes in the source-sink relationship. Finally, the development of the root-knot nematode Meloidogyne javanica was studied in different INV and SUS mutants and wild-type Arabidopsis plants. Similar effects on the development of both sedentary endoparasitic nematode species (root-knot and cyst nematode) were observed, suggesting a more general role of sucrose-degrading enzymes during plant-nematode interactions.

A 7-deoxyloganetic acid glucosyltransferase contributes a key step in secologanin biosynthesis in Madagascar periwinkle.

Iridoids form a broad and versatile class of biologically active molecules found in thousands of plant species. In addition to the many hundreds of iridoids occurring in plants, some iridoids, such as secologanin, serve as key building blocks in the biosynthesis of thousands of monoterpene indole alkaloids (MIAs) and many quinoline alkaloids. This study describes the molecular cloning and functional characterization of three iridoid glucosyltransfeases (UDP-sugar glycosyltransferase6 [UGT6], UGT7, and UGT8) from Madagascar periwinkle (Catharanthus roseus) with remarkably different catalytic efficiencies. Biochemical analyses reveal that UGT8 possessed a high catalytic efficiency toward its exclusive iridoid substrate, 7-deoxyloganetic acid, making it better suited for the biosynthesis of iridoids in periwinkle than the other two iridoid glucosyltransfeases. The role of UGT8 in the fourth to last step in secologanin biosynthesis was confirmed by virus-induced gene silencing in periwinkle plants, which reduced expression of this gene and resulted in a large decline in secologanin and MIA accumulation within silenced plants. Localization studies of UGT8 using a carborundum abrasion method for RNA extraction show that its expression occurs preferentially within periwinkle leaves rather than in epidermal cells, and in situ hybridization studies confirm that UGT8 is preferentially expressed in internal phloem associated parenchyma cells of periwinkle species.

Regulation of plant vascular stem cells by endodermis-derived EPFL-family peptide hormones and phloem-expressed ERECTA-family receptor kinases.

Plant vasculatures are complex tissues consisting of (pro)cambium, phloem, and xylem. The (pro)cambium serves as vascular stem cells that produce all vascular cells. The Arabidopsis ERECTA (ER) receptor kinase is known to regulate the architecture of inflorescence stems. It was recently reported that the er mutation enhances a vascular phenotype induced by a mutation of TDR/PXY, which plays a significant role in procambial proliferation, suggesting that ER participates in vascular development. However, detailed molecular mechanisms of the ER-dependent vascular regulation are largely unknown. Here, this work found that ER and its paralogue, ER-LIKE1, were redundantly involved in procambial development of inflorescence stems. Interestingly, their activity in the phloem was sufficient for vascular regulation. Furthermore, two endodermis-derived peptide hormones, EPFL4 and EPFL6, were redundantly involved in such regulation. It has been previously reported that EPFL4 and EPFL6 act as ligands of phloem-expressed ER for stem elongation. Therefore, these findings indicate that cell-cell communication between the endodermis and the phloem plays an important role in procambial development as well as stem elongation. Interestingly, similar EPFL-ER modules control two distinct developmental events by slightly changing their components: the EPFL4/6-ER module for stem elongation and the EPFL4/6-ER/ERL1 module for vascular development.

Resolving the role of plant glutamate dehydrogenase: II. Physiological characterization of plants overexpressing the two enzyme subunits individually or simultaneously.

Glutamate dehydrogenase (GDH; EC 1.4.1.2) is able to carry out the deamination of glutamate in higher plants. In order to obtain a better understanding of the physiological function of GDH in leaves, transgenic tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum L.) plants were constructed that overexpress two genes from Nicotiana plumbaginifolia (GDHA and GDHB under the control of the Cauliflower mosiac virus 35S promoter), which encode the α- and ß-subunits of GDH individually or simultaneously. In the transgenic plants, the GDH protein accumulated in the mitochondria of mesophyll cells and in the mitochondria of the phloem companion cells (CCs), where the native enzyme is normally expressed. Such a shift in the cellular location of the GDH enzyme induced major changes in carbon and nitrogen metabolite accumulation and a reduction in growth. These changes were mainly characterized by a decrease in the amount of sucrose, starch and glutamine in the leaves, which was accompanied by an increase in the amount of nitrate and Chl. In addition, there was an increase in the content of asparagine and a decrease in proline. Such changes may explain the lower plant biomass determined in the GDH-overexpressing lines. Overexpressing the two genes GDHA and GDHB individually or simultaneously induced a differential accumulation of glutamate and glutamine and a modification of the glutamate to glutamine ratio. The impact of the metabolic changes occurring in the different types of GDH-overexpressing plants is discussed in relation to the possible physiological function of each subunit when present in the form of homohexamers or heterohexamers.

Expressional and regulatory characterization of Arabidopsis RNA-dependent RNA polymerase 1.

RNA-dependent RNA polymerase 1 (RDR1), a component of gene silencing, participates in plant pathogen defense. However, there are few reports on its expression pattern or regulatory mechanism. To clarify how the Arabidopsis RDR1 gene is regulated at the transcriptional level in response to various stresses, its native 1,303 bp promoter sequence upstream of the translational start site and five truncated regions were inserted upstream of a fused reporter gene (ß-glucuronidase-green fluorescent protein) in Arabidopsis. Histochemical staining and fluorescent signal detection revealed that AtRDR1 was expressed primarily in the plant vascular tissue system and its expression was specifically localized in phloem cell layers in roots. Stress experiments showed that the AtRDR1 promoter has a broad-spectrum response to various stresses and is sensitive to 1-naphthaleneacetic acid, abscisic acid, and salicylic acid. Analysis of promoter derivatives revealed that the -1,088 to -690 region was involved in auxin and dehydration responsiveness, that -690 to -434 was responsive to cold treatment, and the intron in the 5'-untranslated region (5'-UTR) responded to jasmonic acid molecules. The 5'-UTR intron was functional in transcript accumulation. Together, our findings suggest that AtRDR1-associated pathogen defense is conducted mainly in the plant vascular tissue system and is under complex regulation.

ßIII-Gal is involved in galactan reduction during phloem element differentiation in chickpea stems.

ßIII-Gal, a member of the chickpea ß-galactosidase family, is the enzyme responsible for the cell wall autolytic process. This enzyme, whose activity increases during epicotyl growth, displays significant hydrolytic activity against cell wall pectins, and its natural substrate has been determined as an arabinogalactan from the pectic fraction of the cell wall. In the present work, the localization of ßIII-Gal in different seedling and plant organs was analyzed by using specific anti-ßIII-Gal antibodies. Our results revealed that besides its possible role in cell wall loosening and in early events during primary xylem and phloem fiber differentiation ßIII-Gal acts on the development of sieve elements. Localization of the enzyme in this tissue, both in epicotyls and radicles from seedlings and in the different stem internodes, is consistent with the reduction in galactan during the maturation of phloem elements, as can be observed with LM5 antibodies. Thus, ßIII-Gal could act on its natural substrate, the neutral side chains of rhamnogalacturonan I, contributing to cell wall reinforcement allowing phloem elements to differentiate, and conferring the necessary strengthening of the cell wall to fulfill its function. This work completes the immunolocation studies of all known chickpea ß-galactosidases. Taken together, our results reflect the broad range of developmental processes covered by different members of this protein family, and confirm their crucial role in cell wall remodeling during tissue differentiation.

Arabidopsis thaliana ASN2 encoding asparagine synthetase is involved in the control of nitrogen assimilation and export during vegetative growth.

We investigated the function of ASN2, one of the three genes encoding asparagine synthetase (EC 6.3.5.4), which is the most highly expressed in vegetative leaves of Arabidopsis thaliana. Expression of ASN2 and parallel higher asparagine content in darkness suggest that leaf metabolism involves ASN2 for asparagine synthesis. In asn2-1 knockout and asn2-2 knockdown lines, ASN2 disruption caused a defective growth phenotype and ammonium accumulation. The asn2 mutant leaves displayed a depleted asparagine and an accumulation of alanine, GABA, pyruvate and fumarate, indicating an alanine formation from pyruvate through the GABA shunt to consume excess ammonium in the absence of asparagine synthesis. By contrast, asparagine did not contribute to photorespiratory nitrogen recycle as photosynthetic net CO(2) assimilation was not significantly different between lines under both 21 and 2% O(2). ASN2 was found in phloem companion cells by in situ hybridization and immunolocalization. Moreover, lack of asparagine in asn2 phloem sap and lowered (15) N flux to sinks, accompanied by the delayed yellowing (senescence) of asn2 leaves, in the absence of asparagine support a specific role of asparagine in phloem loading and nitrogen reallocation. We conclude that ASN2 is essential for nitrogen assimilation, distribution and remobilization (via the phloem) within the plant.

Tie-dyed2 encodes a callose synthase that functions in vein development and affects symplastic trafficking within the phloem of maize leaves.

The tie-dyed2 (tdy2) mutant of maize (Zea mays) displays variegated green and yellow leaves. Intriguingly, the yellow leaf tissues hyperaccumulate starch and sucrose, the soluble sugar transported long distance through the phloem of veins. To determine the molecular basis for Tdy2 function, we cloned the gene and found that Tdy2 encodes a callose synthase. RNA in situ hybridizations revealed that in developing leaves, Tdy2 was most highly expressed in the vascular tissue. Comparative expression analysis with the vascular marker maize PINFORMED1a-yellow fluorescent protein confirmed that Tdy2 was expressed in developing vein tissues. To ascertain whether the defect in tdy2 leaves affected the movement of sucrose into the phloem or its long-distance transport, we performed radiolabeled and fluorescent dye tracer assays. The results showed that tdy2 yellow leaf regions were defective in phloem export but competent in long-distance transport. Furthermore, transmission electron microscopy of tdy2 yellow leaf regions showed incomplete vascular differentiation and implicated a defect in cell-to-cell solute movement between phloem companion cells and sieve elements. The disruption of sucrose movement in the phloem in tdy2 mutants provides evidence that the Tdy2 callose synthase functions in vascular maturation and that the vascular defects result in impaired symplastic trafficking into the phloem translocation stream.