Measurement of NADPH Oxidase Activity in Plants

Abstract

NADPH oxidase is a membrane-bound enzyme that generates (O2-) by transferring electrons from NADPH to molecular oxygen O2. O2-is spontaneously dismasted to the more stable form H2O2. Both O2-and H2O2 are forms ofreactive oxygen species (ROS), which are involved in regulation of many cellular activities such as transcription, intracellular signaling, and host defense. The NADPH oxidase - dependent generation of O2- in total membrane fraction of plant tissue has been determined by the reduction of the tetrazolium salt XTT by O2-. In the presence of O2-, XTT generates a soluble yellow formazan that can be quantified spectrophotometrically.