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As sessile organisms, plants need to sense their available resources to coordinate their growth responses in an optimal manner. Sugars play a key role as they provide carbon and energy for growth but also serve as signal molecules. In most vascular plants, sucrose is the major product of photosynthesis and the most common form of sugar that is transported from source to growing sink organs. My team investigates the signalling metabolite trehalose 6-phosphate (Tre6P), which serves as a sucrose-specific signal metabolite for the homeostatic regulation of sucrose levels in source and sink tissues. This critical role has led to Tre6P being referred to as the “plant’s insulin” due to its pivotal function in controlling the plant’s sugar levels. This role enables plants to sense and adjust sucrose availability, influencing various developmental
outcomes. Tre6P is essential in flowering plants, and its levels impact whole-plant development.
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