Protocol for isolating plant-derived extracellular vesicles

Plant-derived extracellular vesicles (PEVs) are nanosized, lipid bilayer-enclosed vesicles secreted by plant cells into the extracellular space, playing critical roles in intercellular communication. Here, we present a comprehensive and reproducible protocol for isolating PEVs from diverse plant species. Our integrated approach combines differential centrifugation, ultrafiltration, ultracentrifugation, and sucrose density gradient centrifugation to achieve efficient enrichment and purification of PEVs while effectively removing cellular debris. Finally, we characterize the isolated PEVs in terms of morphology, particle size distribution, and zeta potential.

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Publication Details

Journal
STAR Protocols
Published
2026-02-19
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.xpro.2026.104379
Primary Topic
Extracellular vesicles in disease
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
0.00
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article

Protocol for isolating plant-derived extracellular vesicles

Songhua Xiao, Hongcheng Mai, Le Xu, Zhifeng Xu et al.
STAR Protocols
Extracellular vesicles in disease
article

Protocol for isolating plant-derived extracellular vesicles

Songhua Xiao, Hongcheng Mai, Le Xu, Zhifeng Xu, Yunyi Chen, Yuanyuan Yu
article en

Abstract

Plant-derived extracellular vesicles (PEVs) are nanosized, lipid bilayer-enclosed vesicles secreted by plant cells into the extracellular space, playing critical roles in intercellular communication. Here, we present a comprehensive and reproducible protocol for isolating PEVs from diverse plant species. Our integrated approach combines differential centrifugation, ultrafiltration, ultracentrifugation, and sucrose density gradient centrifugation to achieve efficient enrichment and purification of PEVs while effectively removing cellular debris. Finally, we characterize the isolated PEVs in terms of morphology, particle size distribution, and zeta potential.

STAR ProtocolsVol. 7(1)
Sun Yat-sen University (CN), Jinan University (CN), Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital (CN)
Life in Land
Openalex Percentile: Top 50%
Extracellular vesicles in disease
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