The article "Pineapple SWEET10 is a glucose transporter" has been published in Horticulture Research.

While previous studies mainly relied on linear protein sequences to understand the conservation of these transporters across various organisms, this innovative research plunged into the three-dimensional structures and substrate binding capacities of these vital proteins. The team used AlphaFold to understand the functionality of transporter proteins. By examining the 3D structures and functional capacities of these proteins, the group unlocked a new dimension of knowledge that was previously inaccessible through traditional methods.

The study focused on expanding our understanding of sugar transporters, with a particular emphasis on their roles in the economically vital fruit crop pineapple, which has not been extensively studied. Using AlphaFold they noticed that Arabidopsis SWEET8, a glucose transporter, shares a remarkable structural similarity with pineapple SWEET10. To put this newfound knowledge to the test, a heterologous transport assay was conducted, revealing that both Arabidopsis SWEET8 and pineapple SWEET10 possess similar glucose transport capabilities.