Sugar Movers in Potatoes: Unveiling the Secret Life of ST Genes

Potatoes rely on sugar transporters (STs) to move sugars around, which is super important for their growth. These STs can move sugars either by just letting them flow or by actively pushing them along. In potatoes, STs are the key players in moving sugars and building up sugar reserves. Scientists found 61 different STs in potatoes, which they grouped into eight families. Most of these STs hang out in the cell's outer layer, and they're spread out across all 12 potato chromosomes. Some have as few as 1 exon, while others have up to 18. The same goes for motifs, ranging from 1 to 10. When comparing potato STs with those in tomatoes, scientists found a lot of similarities. This suggests that these genes have been around for a while and have evolved together. In fact, potatoes and tomatoes share a whopping 38 pairs of these genes. To see how these STs work, scientists created 3D models and ran simulations. They found that some STs, like Glu-StINT1 and Suc-StINT2, have a strong grip on sugars, which means they're likely the best at moving sugars around. The team also looked at how these genes are turned on and off in different parts of the plant. Some, like StSTP12 and StVGT1, are really active in the plant's green parts, which helps these parts grow. Others, like stu-miRNA395, play a big role in how the plant handles sulfur. The scientists also found that these STs work together in a big network, helping each other out to keep the plant healthy and strong. This network includes important players like ERF, Dof, and MYB, which help the plant deal with stress and turn DNA into RNA. All this info could help scientists design new ways to boost sugar production in potatoes using synthetic biology. By understanding how these STs work, we might be able to create potatoes with even more sugar, which could be a game-changer for the food industry.