Chemiluminescence Detection of the Oxidative Burst in Plant Leaf Pieces

Abstract

The production of 'reactive oxygen species' (ROS), also termed oxidative burst, is a typical cellular response of animals and plants to diverse biotic and abiotic stresses. Here, we outline the detection of the ROS-burst in plant leaf pieces using a luminol-based bioassay which allows for the detection of chemiluminescence. The assay was originally described by Keppler et al. (1989) and subsequently adapted for other plant cells and tissues (Felix et al., 1999) and also used in recent publications (Albert et al., 2013; Albert et al., 2010; Butenko et al., 2014; Halter et al., 2014). In this protocol we outline a standardized version of this assay including remarks and recommendations for data evaluation and interpretation of results.