Function Analysis of Sucrose Transporter OsSUT4 in Sucrose Transport in Rice

【Objective】The transmembrane transport of sucrose is mainly mediated by sucrose transporters, among which five SUT coding genes have been identified in rice. However, the role of OsSUT4 in the sucrose transport is unclear. 【Method】CRISPR/Cas9 techniques were used to construct ossut4-deleted mutants. The ossut4 mutant was featured by lower plant height and grain yield as well as higher tiller number as compared with wild type plants.【Result】Sucrose and starch accumulation in the leaf of the ossut4 mutants lead to slower net photosynthetic rate; insufficient sugar supply results in the postpone of grain filling. Base on the subcellular and histochemical localization, OsSUT4 was located on the cytoplasmic membrane. Tissue localization showed that OsSUT4 was expressed in the embryo of germinating seed, vascular bundles of coleoptile, glume shell, anthers at flowering stage and aleurone layer of caryopsis at filling stage. 【Conclusion】OsSUT4 plays an important role in sucrose transport.