A Stepwise Guide to the Isolation and Analysis of Leaf Surface and Apoplastic RNA Using Arabidopsis Rosettes.

The surface of plant leaves and intercellular space within leaves (the apoplast) serve as key interfaces for molecular exchange between plants and their interacting microbes. In previous work, we demonstrated the presence of a diverse range of RNA species in the apoplast of Arabidopsis rosettes. More recently, our findings revealed that Arabidopsis plants also actively secrete RNA onto their leaf surfaces.

Arabidopsis Produces Distinct Subpopulations of Extracellular Vesicles That Respond Differentially to Biotic Stress, Altering Growth and Infectivity of a Fungal Pathogen.

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) secreted by mammalian cells are highly heterogeneous in content and function. Whether this is also true for EVs secreted by plant cells is not yet known. To address this, we used high-resolution density gradient ultracentrifugation and total internal fluorescence microscopy (TIRF-M) to purify and distinguish distinct subpopulations of Arabidopsis EVs.

Citrus psorosis virus 24K protein inhibits the processing of miRNA precursors by interacting with components of the biogenesis machinery.

Sweet orange () is one of the most important fruit crops worldwide. Virus infections in this crop can interfere with cellular processes, causing dramatic economic losses. By performing RT-qPCR analyses, we demonstrated that citrus psorosis virus (CPsV)-infected orange plants exhibited higher levels of unprocessed microRNA (miRNA) precursors than healthy plants.

Temperature regulation of auxin-related gene expression and its implications for plant growth.

Twenty-five years ago, a seminal paper demonstrated that warm temperatures increase auxin levels to promote hypocotyl growth in Arabidopsis thaliana. Here we highlight recent advances in auxin-mediated thermomorphogenesis and identify unanswered questions. In the warmth, PHYTOCHROME INTERACTING FACTOR 4 (PIF4) and PIF7 bind the YUCCA8 gene promoter and, in concert with histone modifications, enhance its expression to increase auxin synthesis in the cotyledons.