Pathogen cell wall degrading enzymes facilitate extracellular vesicles to deliver RNA into plants

Oberkofler, L.; Tisserant, C.; Krueger, C.; Rodriguez-Rendon, M.; Seydel, C.; Cheradil, A.; Safari, N.; Biabani, A.; Cheng, A.-P.; Ostendorp, S.; Klingl, A.; Kehr, J.; Robatzek, S.; Weiberg, A.

doi:10.64898/2026.08.07.743426

bioRxiv · 10.64898/2026.08.07.743426

Pathogen cell wall degrading enzymes facilitate extracellular vesicles to deliver RNA into plants

Oberkofler, L.·Tisserant, C.·Krueger, C.·Rodriguez-Rendon, M.·Seydel, C.·Cheradil, A.·Safari, N.·Biabani, A.·Cheng, A.-P.·Ostendorp, S.·Klingl, A.·Kehr, J.·Robatzek, S.·Weiberg, A.

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Abstract

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) can deliver RNA and proteins into host cells to manipulate immunity; but how EVs transverse the cell wall is unknown. Using the fungal pathogen Botrytis cinerea that induces cross-kingdom RNA interference in plants, we uncovered that EV-mediated RNA delivery was dependent on cell wall degrading enzymes. Through fluorescence and transmission electron microscopy, and molecular genetic techniques, we demonstrate that EV-associated proteins compromise the plant cell wall, thereby facilitating RNA delivery. Notably, cell wall degrading enzymes are commonly associated with EVs across plant-colonizing bacterial, fungal and oomycete species, indicating a conserved role in EV transport across cell walls. These findings uncover a formerly unknown mechanism by which cell wall degrading enzymes facilitate EVs to transverse the cell wall for cargo delivery in cross-kingdom communication.

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Oberkofler, L., Tisserant, C., Krueger, C., Rodriguez-Rendon, M., Seydel, C., Cheradil, A., Safari, N., Biabani, A., Cheng, A.-P., Ostendorp, S., Klingl, A., Kehr, J., Robatzek, S., Weiberg, A.. 2026-08-07. Pathogen cell wall degrading enzymes facilitate extracellular vesicles to deliver RNA into plants. https://doi.org/10.64898/2026.08.07.743426

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