Rapid detection and imaging of methylglyoxal in plant tissues by the near-infrared fluorescent probe SWJT-2.

Methylglyoxal (MG) can be produced via various pathways in plants. MG is toxic for plant cells at high levels, however it acts as a signaling molecule at low levels, just as HO in plants. Therefore, MG detection is very important for investigating its roles in plant cells, especially in plants under environmental stresses. The near-infrared fluorescent probe SWJT-2 is a novel probe with high sensitivity for the rapid detection of MG in human HeLa cells, but at present it is not clear whether the probe can be used to determine MG levels in plant tissues. In this present research, we tried to apply the probe in plant research. Our results showed that 40 min treatment of SWJT-2 (80 μM) can be applied to the detection and imaging of MG levels in tobacco (Nicotiana benthamiana) tissues.