Sucrose transport into citrus juice cells: Evidence for an endocytic transport system

To investigate the mechanisms of sucrose transport and its accumulation into 'Murcott' mandarin (Citrus reticulata Blanco) fruit, developmental changes in determinants of sink strength such as sucrose metabolizing enzymes, and sucrose transport across both plasmalemma and tonoplast were analyzed. Concurrently with sucrose levels, sucrose synthase, sucrose phosphate synthase and sucrose phosphate phosphatase increased throughout fruit development. Plasmalemma and tonoplast vesicles isolated from fruit collected at different developmental stages were analyzed for their transport capabilities. Sucrose uptake into energized plasmalemma vesicles was abolished by gramicidin, which is in accordance with the presence of an active symport mechanism of sucrose transport from the apoplast into the cytosol. Unexpectedly, tonoplast vesicles were shown to lack active transport mechanism of sucrose into the vacuole. More importantly however. and in conformity with recent findings showing the occurrence of an endocytic mechanism of ion uptake in maize (Zea mays L.) root cells, citrus (Citrus L.) juice cells were shown to incorporate membrane impermeable dyes into their vacuoles in the presence of sucrose. High definition confocal microscopy revealed the co-localization of membrane impermeable markers in cytoplasmic vesicles and the formation of vesicles at the plasmalemma. The data provide evidence for an endocytic system of transport that allows direct incorporation of sucrose from the apoplast to the vacuole bypassing both the plasmalemma and tonoplast.