Detection of Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) Levels in the Fruitlet Abscission Zone of Litchi.

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are pivotal in regulating plant organ abscission. The buildup of ROS in the fruitlet abscission zone (FAZ) actively triggers the abscission of litchi fruitlets. In this chapter, we present a simple method to measure intracellular ROS levels in the FAZ of litchi using 2,7-dichlorodi-hydrofluorescein diacetate (DCFH-DA). Litchi FAZ samples are transverse sectioned and then incubated with a 50 μM DCFH-DA solution at room temperature for 1 h. DCF fluorescence can be visualized using a laser scanning confocal microscope, and the fluorescence intensity is then analyzed with ImageJ software.