Bidirectional Translocation of Sugars in Sieve Tubes of Squash Plants

Open Access
Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
Two streams of sugars moving in opposite directions in the petiole of a half-grown leaf were demonstrated by feeding tritiated glucose to a fully grown leaf of a squash plant (Cucurbita melopepo Bailey) and 14CO2 to the half-grown one. Autoradiographic evidence indicates that the movement of both streams occurred within the same sieve tubes. The data do not fit the mass flow theory of translocation which requires unidirectional flow of sugar solution in the lumen of the sieve tube.