Raffinose sugars are physiological jacks of all trades
Molecular Plant Physiology
Water-soluble carbohydrates are are key-players in a multitude of fundamental physiological events in plants. We have primarily focused our research on the raffinose family oligosaccharides (RFOs or raffinose sugars; α-1,6 galactosyl extensions of sucrose), the most abundant oligosaccharides in the plant kingdom. Many RFO-producing plants are of economic importance, including cucurbits, mints, and legumes. As primary photosynthetic products RFOs are physiological jacks of all trades being important in storage and translocation of carbon as well as protection against abiotic stresses. Interestingly, not all RFO plants use their RFOs for all of the above-mentioned functions. We showed that (i) sweet basil uses the RFO-tetrasaccharide stachyose as phloem translocate but stores starch in its leaves, (ii) Japanese artichoke both translocates and stores stachyose, and (iii) mare's tail translocates sucrose but stores stachyose. Conversely, the frost-hardy evergreen, common bugle (Ajuga reptans), turned out to be an RFO all-rounder. It utilizes RFOs as the principle form of carbon storage and translocation as well as an antifreeze. We are currently expanding our studies to include other types of abiotic stresses as well as the model plant, Arabidopsis thaliana.
Research topics
Carbohydrate metabolism
Abiotic stress physiology
Phloem transport
Subcellular compartmentation
Interdisciplinary
Molecular and classical plant physiology
Plant biochemistry
Abiotic stress
