Proton co-transport of sugars in phloem loading

Loading of ¹⁴C-labelled sugars from the hollow petiole of Ricinus communis L. was stimulated by potassium and by low pH in that both the ¹⁴C-activity and the sugar concentration of phloem sap collected from a nearby incision increased. A pH drop was observed in the solution perfusing a hollow petiole. This pH drop was greater in the presence of potassium and less in the presence of sugars, while the uncoupler CCCP induced a pH rise in the perfusing solution. Sugars were detected in the perfusing solution when it was buffered at pH>9. A model is proposed for a proton co-transport of sugars from the free space driven by a linked proton efflux/potassium influx pump.