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On the Inside

Yield in rice (Oryza sativa) is a complex trait that is directly associatedwith grain size, panicle number, and the number of grains per panicle. Identifying and characterizing unique genes or targets that regulate yield traits would improve our understanding of the molecular mechanisms that regulate yield traits and facilitate the breeding of new rice varieties with higher yields. The carbohydrates in rice grains originate from photosynthesis that is carried out predominantly in leaves (sources). Therefore, grain filling and rice yield depend on the efficient transport of carbohydrates from the leaves to seeds (sinks). In most plants, Suc is the main carbohydrate transported long distance in the veins to support the growth and development of roots, flowers, fruits, and seeds. Suc is synthesized in leaf mesophyll cells and diffuses from cell to cell through plasmodesmata until it reaches the phloem parenchyma cells. Suc transportersmediate Suc efflux from the phloem parenchyma cells into the apoplast, where Suc is subsequently loaded into the phloem sieve elementcompanion cell complexes. AtSUC2 is a phloem-specific Suc transporter that is expressed specifically in companion cells. AtSUC2 plays an essential role in phloem Suc loading and is necessary for efficient Suc transport from source to sink tissues in Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana). The atsuc2 mutants show stunted growth, retarded development, and sterility. Furthermore, these mutants accumulate excess starch in the leaves and fail to transport sugar efficiently to the roots and inflorescences. Wang et al. (pp. 2848–2862) report that transgenic rice plants expressing the Arabidopsis phloem-specific Suc transporter, AtSUC2, showed an increase in grain yield of up to 16% relative to wildtype plants in field trials. Comparedwith wild-type plants, the transgenic plants had larger spikelet hulls and larger and heavier grains.Grainfillingwas accelerated in the transgenic plants, and more photoassimilate was transported from the leaves to the grain. Thus, enhancing Suc loading represents a promising strategy to improve rice yield.