Vacuolar transport of nicotine is mediated by a multidrug and toxic compound extrusion (MATE) transporter in Nicotiana tabacum Ghent University
Alkaloids play a key role in plant defense mechanisms against pathogens and herbivores, but the plants themselves need to cope with their toxicity as well. The major alkaloid of the Nicotiana species, nicotine, is translocated via xylem transport from the root tissues where it is biosynthesized to the accumulation sites, the vacuoles of leaves. To unravel the molecular mechanisms behind this membrane transport, we characterized one transporter, ...