Cytology of the minor-vein phloem in 320 species from the subclass Asteridae suggests a high diversity of phloem-loading modes.

The discovery of abundant plasmodesmata at the bundle sheath/phloem interface in Oleaceae (Gamalei, 1974) and Cucurbitaceae (Turgeon et al., 1975) raised the questions as to whether these plasmodesmata are functional in phloem loading and how widespread symplasmic loading would be. Analysis of over 800 dicot species allowed the definition of "open" and "closed" types of the minor vein phloem depending on the abundance of plasmodesmata between companion cells and bundle sheath (Gamalei, 1989, 1990).

Two novel disaccharides, rutinose and methylrutinose, are involved in carbon metabolism in Datisca glomerata.

Datisca glomerata forms nitrogen-fixing root nodules in symbiosis with soil actinomycetes from the genus Frankia. Analysis of sugars in roots, nodules and leaves of D. glomerata revealed the presence of two novel compounds that were identified as alpha-L-rhamnopyranoside-(1 --> 6)-D-glucose (rutinose) and alpha-L-rhamnopyranoside-(1 --> 6)-1-O-beta-D-methylglucose (methylrutinose).

Evidence for functional heterogeneity of sieve element-companion cell complexes in minor vein phloem of Alonsoa meridionalis.

Two modes of phloem loading have been proposed, apoplastic and symplastic, depending on the structure of sieve element-companion cell complexes (SE-CCCs) in minor vein phloem. Species are usually classified as either apoplastic or symplastic loaders although the cytology of SE-CCCs in minor veins of the majority of plants indicates that both mechanisms can be simultaneously involved in phloem loading. The functions of structurally different SE-CCCs in minor veins of the stachyose-translocating plant Alonsoa meridionalis were examined.

Phloem loading in two Scrophulariaceae species. What can drive symplastic flow via plasmodesmata?

To determine the driving forces for symplastic sugar flux between mesophyll and phloem, gradients of sugar concentrations and osmotic pressure were studied in leaf tissues of two Scrophulariaceae species, Alonsoa meridionalis and Asarina barclaiana. A. meridionalis has a typical symplastic configuration of minor-vein phloem, i.