Quantification of the xylem-to-phloem transfer of amino acids by use of inulin [14C]carboxylic acid as xylem transport marker

Abstract

Inulin [¹⁴C] carboxylic acid and ¹⁴C.labelled amino acid (a-aminoisobutyric acid (aib) and valine) solutions were introduced into the transpiration stream through the cut stem bases of young (4-12 leaves) tomato plants. Inulin carboxylic acid (inu) was translocated exclusively by the xylem, whereas the amino acid distribution resulted from both xylem and phloem import. Comparison of the distribution of inu and aib permitted a quantitative assessment of the xylem-to-phloem transfer in the stem. Of aib, 20.6% traversed from xylem to phloem in a plant with 12 leaves. The phloem import was not evenly distributed over the leaves and varied from 0% (first five leaves) to 95% (top leaf) of the aib import per leaf. Doubling the flow rates in the xylem reduced the aib supply to 25% in the top leaf and 55% in the next leaf, which reflects a reduced xylem-to-phloem transfer.