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Updated: Mar 12, 2026

A Stepwise Guide to the Isolation and Analysis of Leaf Surface and Apoplastic RNA Using Arabidopsis Rosettes
Published on: August 8, 2025
Extracellular Vesicles Isolated from the Leaf Apoplast Carry Stress-Response Proteins
Brian D Rutter1, Roger W Innes2
1Department of Biology, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana 47405.
Abstract:
Exosomes are extracellular vesicles (EVs) that play a central role in intercellular signaling in mammals by transporting proteins and small RNAs. Plants are also known to produce EVs, particularly in response to pathogen infection. The contents of plant EVs have not been analyzed, however, and their function is unknown. Here, we describe a method for purifying EVs from the apoplastic fluids of Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) leaves. Proteomic analyses of these EVs revealed that they are highly enriched in proteins involved in biotic and abiotic stress responses. Consistent with this finding, EV secretion was enhanced in plants infected with Pseudomonas syringae and in response to treatment with salicylic acid. These findings suggest that EVs may represent an important component of plant immune responses.
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