Journal of Energy Bioscience 2025, Vol.16, No.5, 248-262 http://bioscipublisher.com/index.php/jeb 248 Review Article Open Access Biosynthesis and Metabolism of Plant Sugars: From Molecular Mechanisms to Agricultural Applications Danyan Ding Modern Agricultural Research Center, Cuixi Academy of Biotechnology, Zhuji, 311800, Zhejiang, China Corresponding email: danyan.ding@cuixi.org Journal of Energy Bioscience, 2025, Vol.16, No.5 doi: 10.5376/jeb.2025.16.0024 Received: 28 Aug, 2025 Accepted: 09 Oct., 2025 Published: 20 Oct., 2025 Copyright © 2025 Ding, This is an open access article published under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. Preferred citation for this article: Ding D.Y., 2025, Biosynthesis and metabolism of plant sugars: from molecular mechanisms to agricultural applications, Journal of Energy Bioscience, 16(5): 248-262 (doi: 10.5376/jeb.2025.16.0024) Abstract This study reviews how plant sugar metabolism works and why it is important for plant growth, stress response, and agriculture. Sugars like glucose, fructose, sucrose, and starch are not only energy sources but also act as signals that control how plants grow and react to the environment. The paper explains how sugars are made, moved, and used in plants through enzymes and transporters. It also discusses how sugar metabolism connects with nutrient use, hormone signals, and stress resistance. Research has shown that changing sugar-related genes can improve yield, quality, and stress tolerance in crops. New tools such as CRISPR/Cas, systems biology, and metabolic modeling help scientists study sugar pathways more deeply and use this knowledge in real farming. Understanding sugar metabolism can support better crop breeding, stronger stress resistance, and sustainable agriculture in the future. Keywords Plant sugars; Sugar metabolism; Sucrose transport; Stress tolerance; Crop improvement; CRISPR/Cas; Sustainable agriculture 1 Introduction Carbohydrates play a fundamental role in plant development and survival, serving as the primary outputs of photosynthesis. They supply energy and carbon skeletons for biosynthetic processes while modulating numerous physiological functions. Over evolutionary time, plants have developed sophisticated mechanisms for sugar production, distribution, and utilization, allowing them to thrive under diverse environmental conditions and optimize resource allocation. Advances in molecular biology and genetics have significantly enhanced our comprehension of these complex regulatory networks. Sucrose acts as the principal soluble sugar transported within plants. It is produced in photosynthetically active tissues and then distributed to non-photosynthetic organs (Li et al., 2017; Ciereszko, 2018; Stein and Granot, 2019; Gautam et al., 2022). The spatial and temporal regulation of sugar partitioning influences key developmental processes such as cell proliferation, seed dormancy release, flowering initiation, and aging (Eveland and Jackson, 2012). Additionally, sugar metabolism interacts with nutrient uptake systems, particularly for nitrogen and potassium—elements critical for photosynthetic efficiency and carbohydrate translocation (Shah et al., 2024). Under abiotic stresses like drought, high salinity, or heat, plants accumulate monosaccharides (e.g., glucose, fructose) and disaccharides (e.g., sucrose) to stabilize cellular structures, maintain osmotic balance, and scavenge reactive oxygen species (Afzal et al., 2021; Nägele et al., 2022). Cells can detect specific sugars, including glucose, sucrose, and trehalose-6-phosphate (Tre6P), which function as signaling molecules that influence gene transcription and metabolic flux (Rolland et al., 2006; Choudhary et al., 2022). Key regulators in sugar sensing include hexokinase (HXK), the target of rapamycin (TOR) kinase, and SNF1-related protein kinase 1 (SnRK1), all of which integrate metabolic status with hormonal pathways (Sakr et al., 2018; Li et al., 2021). Cross-talk between sugar signals and phytohormones, such as auxin, shapes organogenesis in roots, shoots, and reproductive structures (Eveland and Jackson, 2012; Mishra et al., 2021). Furthermore, carbohydrates contribute to cell wall biosynthesis and serve as precursors for various secondary metabolites (Figueroa et al., 2021; Tang et al., 2023). Glycosyltransferases facilitate the assembly of intricate polysaccharides, reinforcing cellular integrity and improving resistance to biotic and abiotic challenges.
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