Cardiac glycoside transport was investigated on the organ and whole plant level. Uptake experiments were carried out with shoot and root cultures of Digitalis lanata. In both systems primary cardenolides, i.e., those with a terminal glucose in their oligosaccharide side chain, were taken up against their concentration gradient, whereas the glucose‐free secondary cardenolides were not. Active uptake of primary cardenolides was further evidenced by KCN inhibition of uptake. Using plantlets grown in vitro the long‐distance transport of primary cardenolides from the leaves to the roots was demonstrated. Cardenolides were also detected in etiolated leaves, induced on plants with green leaves, which are supposed to be unable to synthezise cardenolides de novo, providing further evidence for long‐distance transport. Several primary cardenolides were detected in the honeydew excreted by aphids fed on Digitalis lanata leaves, indicating that the phloem is a transporting tissue for cardenolides. On the other hand, the xylem sap obtained by applying the pressure‐chamber technique was cardenolide‐free. It was concluded that in Digitalis primary cardenolides serve as both the transport and the storage form of cardenolides. After their synthesis they are either stored in the vacuoles of the source tissue or loaded into the sieve tubes, from which they are unloaded at other sites where they are trapped in the vacuoles of the respective sink tissue.

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The apparent molecular mass of the LAE was estimated to be 85-95kDa by gel filtration chromatography. SDS-PAGE of the partially purified enzyme revealed that the LAE is probably composed of two identical subunits of 50 kDa each.

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