Collection of Pure Phloem Sap from Wheat and its Chemical Composition

Abstract

Wheat Phloem sap was collected without contamination from the stylets of small brown planthopper severed by a YAG laser beam. The sugar, amino acid and inorganic ion composition was determined using only one μl of the sap. The sap had a high sucrose level (251 mM), and also a high K⁺ level (299 mM). Total amino acid compounds in the sap reached 262 mM. The dominant amino acids were glutamic acid, aspartic acid and serine, while r-amino butylic acid was absent. The major anion in the sap was Cl⁻ and its concentration was 25.1 mM. Nitrate was also present at a concentration of 8.1 mM. These results suggested that the sap obtained from the cut end of the stylets of the small brown planthopper was a phloem origin of wheat.