Reaction of 2,2,5,7,8-pentamethyl-6-chromanol, an alpha-tocopherol analogue, with NO in the presence of oxygen

Singlet Oxygen in Plants: Generation, Detection, and Signaling Roles

Singlet oxygen (1O2) refers to the lowest excited electronic state of molecular oxygen. It easily oxidizes biological molecules and, therefore, is cytotoxic. In plant cells, 1O2 is formed mostly in the light in thylakoid membranes by reaction centers of photosystem II. In high concentrations, 1O2 destroys membranes, proteins and DNA, inhibits protein synthesis in chloroplasts leading to photoinhibition of photosynthesis, and can result in cell death. However, 1O2 also acts as a signal relaying information from chloroplasts to the nucleus, regulating expression of nuclear genes. In spite of its extremely short lifetime, 1O2 can diffuse from the chloroplasts into the cytoplasm and the apoplast. As shown by recent studies, 1O2-activated signaling pathways depend not only on the levels but also on the sites of 1O2 production in chloroplasts, and can activate two types of responses, either acclimation to high light or programmed cell death. 1O2 can be produced in high amounts also in root cells during drought stress. This review summarizes recent advances in research on mechanisms and sites of 1O2 generation in plants, on 1O2-activated pathways of retrograde- and cellular signaling, and on the methods to study 1O2 production in plants.

Products of the reaction between α- or γ-tocopherol and nitrogen oxides analyzed by high-performance liquid chromatography with UV-visible and atmospheric pressure chemical ionization mass spectrometric detection

The reaction products of alpha- or gamma-tocopherol with nitric oxide in the presence of molecular oxygen were isolated and characterized. The consumption of tocopherols and the formation of the major products were monitored by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) by a gradient elution method. The quantitative analysis of these compounds with UV-Vis detectors, however, was interfered by several minor products having similar UV spectra and retention times as those of the major ones. In order to establish a quantitative analytical method for the products, we investigated other detection methods, and found that atmospheric pressure chemical ionization (APCI), LC-MS was a more selective and better analytical method for these compounds.