Apoplastic transport of 14C-photosynthates measured under drought and nitrogen supply

Abstract

Using water infiltration of the plant and individual shoots with the subsequent intercellular liquid extraction by the pressure chamber, dynamics of the movement 14C-photosynthates from cell to apoplast, and 14C distribution among photosynthetic products in mesophyll cells and apoplast were studied. The relative quantity of 14C-photosynthetes in leaf apoplast depended on growing conditions; drought increased, and nitrate supply decreased it. When the middle leaves absorbed 14CO2, photosynthates moving down in stem phloem appeared in intercellular space, where they were transported up by transpiration stream. 14C-photosynthates entering to the apex and young leaves were utilized and accumulated, and photosynthates transported to the mature leaves were reloaded into the phloem and reexported. Thus, photosynthates circulated through the plant and were redistributed to the plant organs according to their transpiration. In leaf apoplast photosynthetic sucrose was partly hydrolyzed to glucose and fructose. This increased under high nitrogen supply. The result indicate that apoplast sucrose hydrolysis is the basic cause of the reduction of photosynthate flux from leaves when the nitrate concentration in soil increases.