Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 12, 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
Extracellular Vesicles: Key Mediators of Bioactive Molecule Transport in Plant-Microbe Interactions
Hang Gao1, Liying Pan1, Ao Chen1,2
1College of Biology and Food, Shangqiu Normal University, Shangqiu, China.
Molecular Plant Pathology
|July 11, 2026
Summary
Extracellular vesicles (EVs) mediate plant-microbe communication by transporting biomolecules. This review explores their roles in plant defense, microbial infection, symbiosis, and immune signaling, highlighting research gaps.
Area of Science:
- Plant Biology
- Microbiology
- Cell Biology
Background:
- Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are nanoscale particles involved in intercellular communication.
- EVs mediate the exchange of nucleic acids, proteins, and lipids between organisms.
- Plant-microbe interactions are crucial for ecosystems and agriculture.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the role of EVs in cross-kingdom communication between plants and microbes.
- To highlight EV functions in plant defense, microbial pathogenesis, and symbiosis.
- To discuss EV-mediated immune signaling within plants and propose future research.
Main Methods:
- Literature review and synthesis of existing research on plant and microbial EVs.
- Analysis of mechanisms by which EVs transport bioactive cargo.
- Identification of knowledge gaps in plant EV research.
Main Results:
- EVs facilitate bidirectional transfer of molecules, influencing plant-microbe interactions.
- Plant EVs can suppress pathogen virulence, while microbial EVs promote infection.
- EVs are implicated in beneficial symbioses and systemic plant immunity.
Conclusions:
- EVs are key mediators in plant-microbe communication, impacting health and disease.
- Further research is needed to fully elucidate the functions of plant EVs.
- Understanding plant EVs can lead to novel strategies for agriculture and plant protection.
Related Concept Videos
01:09Microbe-Plant Interactions
Microbe-plant interactions represent a dynamic spectrum of associations shaped by intricate chemical signaling. These interactions can be neutral, beneficial, or detrimental, and profoundly influence plant physiology, growth, and ecosystem function. The plant microbiome, comprising bacteria, fungi, archaea, protists, and viruses, plays a pivotal role in mediating these effects through surface colonization, internal colonization, or systemic symbiosis.Mutualistic associations, particularly with...
02:12Short-distance Transport of Resources
Short-distance transport refers to transport that occurs over a distance of just 2-3 cells, crossing the plasma membrane in the process. Small uncharged molecules, such as oxygen, carbon dioxide, and water, can diffuse across the plasma membrane on their own. In contrast, ions and larger molecules require the assistance of transport proteins due to their charge or size. Transport across membranes also occurs within individual cells, playing a variety of essential roles for the plant as a whole.
01:46The Apoplast and Symplast
Plant growth depends on its ability to take up water and dissolved minerals from the soil. The root system of every plant is equipped with the necessary tissues to facilitate the entry of water and solutes. The plant tissues involved in the transport of water and minerals have two major compartments - the apoplast and the symplast. The apoplast includes everything outside the plasma membrane of living cells and consists of cell walls, extracellular spaces, xylem, phloem, and tracheids. The...
01:36Overview of Exosomes
Exosomes are stable, lipid bilayer-enclosed vesicles capable of crossing biological barriers. They can carry a wide range of molecules required for intercellular communication. Once exosomes are released from the cell where they originated, they enter a recipient cell through various pathways such as fusion, receptor-mediated endocytosis, macropinocytosis, and phagocytosis.
Stahl et al. discovered exosomes in 1983, but the exosomes were initially considered waste products released from the...
Stahl et al. discovered exosomes in 1983, but the exosomes were initially considered waste products released from the...
01:23Mechanisms of Drug Absorption: Paracellular, Transcellular, and Vesicular Transport
Drugs need to permeate cell membranes to reach their target sites after administration. Orally administered drugs must transcend intestinal epithelial membrane barriers to infiltrate the systemic circulation. Drugs with a molecular weight of less than 500 Daltons diffuse through gaps between neighboring cells, called paracellular pathways.
However, most drugs use the transcellular route, traversing directly through the cell membranes via two mechanisms: passive and active transport. Passive...
However, most drugs use the transcellular route, traversing directly through the cell membranes via two mechanisms: passive and active transport. Passive...
01:18Vesicular Trasport: Endocytosis, Transcytosis and Exocytosis
Vesicular transport is a cellular process that encompasses the engulfment of particles or dissolved substances by cells. It involves endocytosis, transcytosis, and exocytosis.
Endocytosis is a cellular mechanism that involves the inward folding of the cell membrane to create vesicles that capture and transport large drug molecules. This process comprises two distinct methods: pinocytosis (often referred to as "cell drinking") and phagocytosis (often referred to as "cell eating"). Pinocytosis is...
Endocytosis is a cellular mechanism that involves the inward folding of the cell membrane to create vesicles that capture and transport large drug molecules. This process comprises two distinct methods: pinocytosis (often referred to as "cell drinking") and phagocytosis (often referred to as "cell eating"). Pinocytosis is...