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Volume 14
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10.3390/plants14172618
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This is an early access version, the complete PDF, HTML, and XML versions will be available soon.
Article

Functional Studies and Expression Characteristics of the Vacuolar Sugar Transporter CoSWEET2a in Camellia oleifera

by
Xinhui Zou
1,†,
Bingshuai Du
1,2,†,
Jing Zhou
1,
Jingjing Hu
1,
Yibo Cao
1 and
Lingyun Zhang
1,*
1
Key Laboratory of Forest Silviculture and Conservation of the Ministry of Education, The College of Forestry, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083, China
2
Beijing Engineering Research Center for Deciduous Fruit Trees, Key Laboratory of Biology and Genetic Improvement of Horticultural Crops (North China), Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Institute of Forestry and Pomology, Beijing Academy of Agriculture and Forestry Sciences, Beijing 100093, China
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
†
These authors contributed equally to this work.
Plants 2025, 14(17), 2618; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants14172618
Submission received: 20 July 2025 / Revised: 12 August 2025 / Accepted: 21 August 2025 / Published: 22 August 2025
(This article belongs to the Section Crop Physiology and Crop Production)
Versions Notes

Abstract

Sugar transporters of the SWEET family are essential for plant growth, development, yield formation, and stress responses by regulating sugar transport and distribution. This study characterizes the function and expression characteristics of CoSWEET2a, a Clade I SWEET gene in Camellia oleifera. We conducted subcellular localization, functional complementation in Arabidopsis, sugar response assays, drought tolerance tests, and hormone induction analysis. A key finding is CoSWEET2a, which that is localized on the vacuolar membrane in Camellia oleifera. Heterologous expression in Arabidopsis atsweet2 mutants revealed sugar-specific effects on root growth. Moreover, expression of CoSWEET2a increased soluble sugar content in Arabidopsis seeds. Additionally, CoSWEET2a overexpression enhanced drought stress tolerance by augmenting sugar content. The expression of CoSWEET2a is regulated by gibberellin (GA) and abscisic acid (ABA), and its promoter contains corresponding hormone response elements. In conclusion, CoSWEET2a functions as a “sugar buffer” on the vacuolar membrane, regulating sugar accumulation, root development, and drought stress responses. This discovery not only reveals that vacuolar SWEET plays an important role in maintaining cytoplasmic sugar homeostasis in plants but also provides a direct genetic target for engineering high-quality, drought-tolerant crops.
Keywords: Camellia oleifera; SWEET transporter; sugar transport; hormone response; drought stress Camellia oleifera; SWEET transporter; sugar transport; hormone response; drought stress

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MDPI and ACS Style

Zou, X.; Du, B.; Zhou, J.; Hu, J.; Cao, Y.; Zhang, L. Functional Studies and Expression Characteristics of the Vacuolar Sugar Transporter CoSWEET2a in Camellia oleifera. Plants 2025, 14, 2618. https://doi.org/10.3390/plants14172618

AMA Style

Zou X, Du B, Zhou J, Hu J, Cao Y, Zhang L. Functional Studies and Expression Characteristics of the Vacuolar Sugar Transporter CoSWEET2a in Camellia oleifera. Plants. 2025; 14(17):2618. https://doi.org/10.3390/plants14172618

Chicago/Turabian Style

Zou, Xinhui, Bingshuai Du, Jing Zhou, Jingjing Hu, Yibo Cao, and Lingyun Zhang. 2025. "Functional Studies and Expression Characteristics of the Vacuolar Sugar Transporter CoSWEET2a in Camellia oleifera" Plants 14, no. 17: 2618. https://doi.org/10.3390/plants14172618

APA Style

Zou, X., Du, B., Zhou, J., Hu, J., Cao, Y., & Zhang, L. (2025). Functional Studies and Expression Characteristics of the Vacuolar Sugar Transporter CoSWEET2a in Camellia oleifera. Plants, 14(17), 2618. https://doi.org/10.3390/plants14172618

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