An ESIPT-AIE nanosensor for ONOO
Wang GY, Tan S, Niu W, Gao F, Liu ST
Plant Signaling
Every time your garden plants get scorched by drought, attacked by a fungal pathogen, or stressed by pollution, they fire off a burst of reactive chemical signals — and until now researchers had no good way to watch those signals happen live inside a leaf cell.
Plants under stress — from disease, drought, or pollution — release a highly reactive chemical called peroxynitrite as part of their alarm system. Researchers built a tiny probe that glows when it encounters this chemical inside a living plant cell, letting scientists see plant stress responses as they happen. This kind of real-time visibility could help uncover exactly how plants defend themselves, which could eventually lead to crops and garden plants that are better at handling tough conditions.
Key Findings
A dual-mechanism fluorescent probe (combining ESIPT and AIE chemistry) was engineered to selectively detect peroxynitrite over other chemically similar reactive species in cells.
The nanosensor successfully imaged peroxynitrite in living plant cells, confirming it is active during plant stress events.
The probe responds rapidly and specifically to peroxynitrite, enabling real-time tracking of this reactive nitrogen species without damaging the cell.
chevron_right Technical Summary
Scientists developed a fluorescent nanosensor that can detect peroxynitrite — a short-lived, reactive stress signal — inside living plant cells in real time. The probe lights up when peroxynitrite is present, giving researchers a new window into how plants experience and respond to stress at the chemical level.
Abstract Preview
Peroxynitrite (ONOO
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