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Updated: Jun 27, 2026

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.
Abstract:
RNAs are versatile polynucleotides that perform essential functions in coding, regulation, catalysis, and structural organization across all forms of life. While most RNAs function endogenously within an organism, certain RNAs, including small RNAs, messenger RNAs, long noncoding RNAs, and other RNA species, can cross organismal boundaries and regulate cellular processes in recipient organisms, a phenomenon termed "cross-kingdom" or "cross-species" RNA communication. These transferred RNAs play a pivotal role in regulating host-microbe interactions. Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are lipid bilayer-enclosed structures that serve as vehicles for transporting RNAs and other cargoes from donor to recipient cells or organisms to regulate diverse cellular processes. This review summarizes recent advances in our understanding of EVs and their functions in shuttling regulatory molecules, especially RNAs, between hosts and microbes, between hosts and parasites or pests, and even between microbes. Elucidating these mechanisms will enable the development of innovative crop protection strategies.
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