Plant Diversity ›› 2017, Vol. 39 ›› Issue (03): 123-129.DOI: 10.1016/j.pld.2017.05.006

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Molecular cloning and expression analysis of turnip (Brassica rapa var. rapa) sucrose transporter gene family

Yuanyuan Liua,b,c, Xin Yina,b,c, Ya Yanga,b,c, Chuntao Wanga,b, Yongping Yanga,b   

  1. a. Key Laboratory for Plant Diversity and Biogeography of East Asia, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Science, Kunming 650201, China;
    b. Plant Germplasm and Genomics Center, The Germplasm Bank of Wild Species, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650201, China;
    c. University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
  • Received:2017-03-01 Online:2017-06-25 Published:2021-11-05
  • Contact: Chuntao Wang, Yongping Yang
  • Supported by:
    We thank Dr. Yunqiang Yang for assisting in the construction of the phylogenetic tree and data analysis. This work was supported by Major Program of National Natural Science Foundation of China (31590820, 31590823).

Abstract: In higher plants, sugars (mainly sucrose) are produced by photosynthetically assimilated carbon in mesophyll cells of leaves and translocated to heterotrophic organs to ensure plant growth and development. Sucrose transporters, or sucrose carriers (SUCs), play an important role in the long-distance transportation of sucrose from source organs to sink organs, thereby affecting crop yield and quality. The identification, characterization, and molecular function analysis of sucrose transporter genes have been reported for monocot and dicot plants. However, no relevant study has been reported on sucrose transporter genes in Brassica rapa var. rapa, a cruciferous root crop used mainly as vegetables and fodder. We identified and cloned 12 sucrose transporter genes from turnips, named BrrSUC1.1 to BrrSUC6.2 according to the SUC gene sequences of B. rapa pekinensis. We constructed a phylogenetic tree and analyzed conserved motifs for all 12 sucrose transporter genes identified. Real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction was conducted to understand the expression levels of SUC genes in different tissues and developmental phases of the turnip. These findings add to our understanding of the genetics and physiology of sugar transport during taproot formation in turnips.

Key words: Brassica rapa var. rapa, Turnip, Sucrose transporter, SUC