2. Academic Validation
  3. Extracellular vesicle-mediated plant miRNA trafficking regulates viral infection in insect vector

Extracellular vesicle-mediated plant miRNA trafficking regulates viral infection in insect vector

  • Cell Rep. 2025 May 27;44(5):115635. doi: 10.1016/j.celrep.2025.115635.
Qian Wang 1,  Hong Lu 2,  Xiaoyue Fan 3,  Jiaming Zhu 4,  Jianfei Shi 1,  Wan Zhao 4,  Yan Xiao 1,  Yongyu Xu 3,  Jinfeng Chen 4,  Feng Cui 5
Affiliations

Affiliations

  • 1 State Key Laboratory of Animal Biodiversity Conservation and Integrated Pest Management, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China.
  • 2 State Key Laboratory of Animal Biodiversity Conservation and Integrated Pest Management, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China. Electronic address: luhong@ioz.ac.cn.
  • 3 College of Plant Protection, Shandong Agricultural University, Tai'an 271018, China.
  • 4 State Key Laboratory of Animal Biodiversity Conservation and Integrated Pest Management, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China.
  • 5 State Key Laboratory of Animal Biodiversity Conservation and Integrated Pest Management, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China. Electronic address: cuif@ioz.ac.cn.
PMID: 40293919 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2025.115635
Abstract

Extracellular vesicle (EV)-mediated small RNA trafficking plays an important role in intercellular and interspecies communication. Plant arboviruses keep homeostasis in insect vectors, thus ensuring vector survival and viral transmission. How plant EV-mediated cross-kingdom RNA interference participates in viral Infection in insect vectors remains unknown. Here, we successfully isolate rice EVs and identify a batch of MicroRNAs (miRNAs) encapsulated in EVs. Two EV-enriched rice miRNAs, Osa-miR159a.1-1 and Osa-miR167a, are transported into midgut epithelial cells of small brown planthopper, which is a competent vector of rice stripe virus (RSV). Osa-miR159a.1-1 elevates the expression of a Phospholipase C by enhancing its mRNA stability, inducing the downstream CSL expression to inhibit Apoptosis for the benefit of RSV replication. On the Other hand, Osa-miR167a directly binds RSV RdRp to suppress viral replication. This differential regulation of EV-mediated cross-kingdom RNA interference contributes to arbovirus homeostasis in insect vectors and the following efficient transmission.

Keywords

CP: Microbiology; CP: Plants; PLCβ; apoptosis; extracellular vesicle; miRNA; planthopper; rice stripe virus.

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