Plant Sugar Transporters SWEETs: Structure, Function, and Cutting-Edge Research Insights.

Abstract

SWEET proteins are essential sugar transporters in plants, playing key roles in growth, development, and stress responses. This review discusses their unique transmembrane helical structures, conserved motifs, and classification into four evolutionary clades with substrate preferences. SWEETs mediate phloem loading, fruit and seed development, hormone transport, and plant-microbe interactions. They influence resistance to pathogens by regulating sugar availability and play critical roles in abiotic stress responses such as drought, salinity, and temperature extremes. Advances in molecular biology techniques, including gene editing and transcriptomics, have expanded our understanding of SWEET function in crop improvement. Future research should focus on their regulatory networks and biotechnological applications to enhance agricultural productivity. Understanding SWEET-mediated sugar transport can provide novel strategies for developing stress-resistant, high-yield crops.