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Updated: Jun 27, 2026
09:38
Isolation and Purification of Plant Extracellular Vesicles from Arabidopsis Leaves Using an Optimized Apoplastic Wash Collection Method
Published on: March 24, 2026
Hidden Messages in Extracellular Vesicles: Cross-Kingdom RNA Communication in Plant and Microbe Interactions
Qiang Cai1, Simoné Murguia2, Hailing Jin2
11State Key Laboratory of Hybrid Rice, Hubei Hongshan Laboratory, College of Life Science, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China.
Annual Review of Cell and Developmental Biology
|June 25, 2026
Summary
RNAs can travel between organisms, influencing interactions between hosts and microbes. Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are key carriers of these regulatory RNAs, offering insights into crop protection strategies.
Area of Science:
- Molecular Biology
- Microbiology
- Biochemistry
Background:
- RNAs are crucial for cellular functions, including coding, regulation, and structure.
- RNAs can transcend organismal boundaries, mediating cross-kingdom and cross-species communication.
- Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are recognized as primary vehicles for intercellular RNA transport.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review recent advancements in understanding extracellular vesicles (EVs).
- To explore the role of EVs in shuttling regulatory RNAs between different organisms.
- To highlight the potential of RNA communication mechanisms for developing crop protection strategies.
Main Methods:
- Literature review of recent studies on EVs and RNA communication.
- Analysis of mechanisms by which EVs transport RNAs between hosts and microbes.
- Synthesis of current knowledge on cross-kingdom RNA transfer via EVs.
Main Results:
- EVs facilitate the transfer of regulatory RNAs between hosts and microbes, parasites, and pests.
- This RNA communication significantly influences host-microbe interactions.
- EV-mediated RNA transfer occurs between diverse microbial species.
Conclusions:
- Extracellular vesicles are critical mediators of inter-organismal RNA communication.
- Understanding EV-RNA interactions provides a basis for novel crop protection approaches.
- Further research into these mechanisms can revolutionize agricultural pest and disease management.
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