ABSTRACT
This chapter explores the biochemical pathway of sucrose synthesis and then discusses some ideas on how the pathway is regulated by both coarse and fine control. Sucrose, which is the major transport form of reduced carbon in higher plants, is then either stored in the vacuole or exported to other parts of the plant. Sucrose synthase has been cloned from a number of plant sources. The hydrolysis of sucrose-6-P to sucrose is catalyzed by sucrose-6-phosphate phosphatase. The phenomenon of sugar accumulation in sinks is widespread, and some of the most important agronomic crops are those that accumulate large amounts of sugar, particularly sucrose. The major substrates for sucrose synthesis in photosynthetic tissues are three carbon sugar phosphates. Feedback control of sucrose metabolism in the short term again is thought to occur via the regulatory action of metabolic intermediates. The chapter describes fructose 1,6-bisphosphatase and fructose 2,6-bisphosphate metabolism.
