Plant cells secrete membrane-enclosed micrometer- and nanometer-sized vesicles that, similarly to the extracellular vesicles (EVs) released by mammalian or bacterial cells, carry a complex molecular cargo of proteins, nucleic acids, lipids, and primary and secondary metabolites. While it is technically complicated to isolate EVs from whole plants or their tissues, in vitro plant cell cultures provide excellent model systems for their study. Plant EVs have been isolated from the conditioned culture media of plant cell, pollen, hairy root, and protoplast cultures, and recent studies have gathered important structural and biological data that provide a framework to decipher their physiological roles and unveil previously unacknowledged links to their diverse biological functions. The primary function of plant EVs seems to be in the secretion that underlies cell growth and morphogenesis, cell wall composition, and cell–cell communication processes. Besides their physiological functions, plant EVs may participate in defence mechanisms against different plant pathogens, including fungi, viruses, and bacteria. Whereas edible and medicinal-plant-derived nanovesicles isolated from homogenised plant materials ex vivo are widely studied and exploited, today, plant EV research is still in its infancy. This review, for the first time, highlights the different in vitro sources that have been used to isolate plant EVs, together with the structural and biological studies that investigate the molecular cargo, and pinpoints the possible role of plant EVs as mediators in plant–pathogen interactions, which may contribute to opening up new scenarios for agricultural applications, biotechnology, and innovative strategies for plant disease management.

Genomic selection (GS) is a predictive approach that was built up to increase the rate of genetic gain per unit of time and reduce the generation interval by utilizing genome-wide markers in breeding programs. It has emerged as a valuable method for improving complex traits that are controlled by many genes with small effects. GS enables the prediction of the breeding value of candidate genotypes for selection. In this work, we address important issues related to GS and its implementation in the plant context with special emphasis on tomato breeding. Genomic constraints and critical parameters affecting the accuracy of prediction such as the number of markers, statistical model, phenotyping and complexity of trait, training population size and composition should be carefully evaluated. The comparison of GS approaches for facilitating the selection of tomato superior genotypes during breeding programs is also discussed. GS applied to tomato breeding has already been shown to be feasible. We illustrated how GS can improve the rate of gain in elite line selection, and descendent and backcross schemes. The GS schemes have begun to be delineated and computer science can provide support for future selection strategies. A new promising breeding framework is beginning to emerge for optimizing tomato improvement procedures.

Purpose: Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are promising tools for nanomedicine and nanobiotechnology. The purification of mammalian-derived EVs involves intensive processes, and their therapeutic application raises multiple safety and regulatory issues. Plants have the potential to serve as nonconventional sources of therapeutically relevant EVs. In this context, we recently identified hairy roots (HRs) of medicinal plants as a novel biotechnological platform to produce EVs for human health. Methods: Herein, we report the purification, omics profiling, and bioactivity of EVs isolated from HRs of the medicinal plants S. sclarea and S. dominica. EVs were isolated from conditioned media of HR cultures using differential ultracentrifugation (dUC) and size exclusion chromatography (SEC). The isolated EVs were characterized by nanoparticle tracking analysis (NTA) and electron microscopy. The proteomic and metabolomic profiles of the EVs were determined using mass spectrometry. Uptake studies and bioactivity assays, including confocal microscopy, MTT, flow cytometry, ROS quantification, and untargeted metabolomics analyses, were conducted in SH-SY5Y cells treated with the neurotoxin 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA) to evaluate the therapeutic potential of EVs in an in vitro model of Parkinson’s disease. Results: S. sclarea HRs released nanosized round-shaped EVs with a distinctive molecular signature. HR EVs from S. sclarea and S. dominica revealed conserved cargo of secondary metabolites, predominantly triterpenoids, which are known for their antioxidant properties. We showed that HR EVs are safe, enter the cells, and strongly inhibit apoptosis in a cellular model of Parkinson’s disease. Cellular metabolomics revealed that EVs preserved metabolic homeostasis and mitigated cellular oxidative stress when co-administered with 6-OHDA. Mechanistically, HR EVs inhibited 6-OHDA autoxidation and substantially reduced the accumulation of its oxidative products, which are responsible for 6-OHDA-induced toxicity. Conclusion: Collectively, our findings provide compelling evidence that EVs isolated from the hairy roots of Salvia species are promising, non-mammalian alternative for the design of novel therapies targeting neurological disorders.

Water deficit negatively impacts crop productivity and quality. Plants face these challenges by adjusting biological processes and molecular functions according to the intensity and duration of the stress. The cultivated potato (Solanum tuberosum) is considered sensitive to water deficit, thus breeding efforts are needed to enhance its resilience. To capture novel functional information and gene regulatory networks, we carried out mass spectrometry‐based proteomics in potato cell suspensions exposed to abrupt or stepwise osmotic stresses. Both forms of stress triggered significant alterations in protein expression, though with divergent response mechanisms. Stress response pathways orchestrated by key proteins enrolled in primary and secondary metabolism, antioxidant processes, transcriptional and translational machinery and chromatin organization were found in adapted cells. Target metabolites and reactive oxygen species levels were quantified to associate functional outcomes with the proteome study. Remarkably, we also showed that adapted cells tolerate an array of diverse conditions, including anoxia, salt and heat stress. Finally, the expression patterns of genes encoding selected differentially expressed proteins were investigated in potato plants subjected to either drought or salt stress. Collectively, our findings reveal the complex cellular strategies of osmotic stress adaptation, identifying new fundamental genes that could enhance potato resilience.