Facile Labeling of Sieve Element Phloem-Protein Bodies Using the Reciprocal Oligosaccharide Probe OGA(488)

Sieve elements of many angiosperms contain structural phloem proteins (P-proteins) that can interact to create large P-protein bodies. P-protein bodies can occlude sieve plates upon injury but the range of functional and physiological roles of P-proteins remains uncertain, in part because of challenges in labeling and visualization methods. Here, we show that a reciprocal oligosaccharide probe, OGA(488), can be used in rapid and sensitive labeling of P-protein bodies in Arabidopsis, poplar, snap bean and cucumber in histological sections. OGA(488) labeling of knockouts of the two Arabidopsis P-protein-encoding genes, AtSEOR1 and AtSEOR2, indicated that labeling is specific to AtSEOR2. That protein bodies were labeled and visible in Atseor1 knockouts indicates that heterodimerization of AtSEOR1 and AtSEOR2 may not be necessary for P-protein body formation. Double labeling with a previously characterized stain for P-proteins, sulphorhodamine 101, confirmed P-protein labeling and also higher specificity of OGA(488) for P-proteins. OGA(488) is thus robust and easily used to label P-proteins in histological sections of multiple angiosperm species.