Cross-kingdom small RNA trafficking between hosts and microbes modulates gene expression in the interacting partners during infection. However, whether other RNAs are also transferred is unclear. Here, we discover that host plant Arabidopsis thaliana delivers mRNAs via extracellular vesicles (EVs) into the fungal pathogen Botrytis cinerea. A fluorescent RNA aptamer reporter Broccoli system reveals host mRNAs in EVs and recipient fungal cells. Using translating ribosome affinity purification profiling and polysome analysis, we observe that delivered host mRNAs are translated in fungal cells. Ectopic expression of two transferred host mRNAs in B. cinerea shows that their proteins are detrimental to infection. Arabidopsis knockout mutants of the genes corresponding to these transferred mRNAs are more susceptible. Thus, plants have a strategy to reduce infection by transporting mRNAs into fungal cells. mRNAs transferred from plants to pathogenic fungi are translated to compromise infection, providing knowledge that helps combat crop diseases.

宿主和微生物之间的跨界小 RNA 运输调节感染过程中相互作用伙伴的基因表达。然而，其他 RNA 是否也被转移尚不清楚。在这里，我们发现宿主植物拟南芥通过细胞外囊泡 (EV) 将 mRNA 传递到真菌病原体灰葡萄孢中。荧光 RNA 适体报告器西兰花系统揭示了 EV 和受体真菌细胞中的宿主 mRNA。使用翻译核糖体亲和纯化分析和多核糖体分析，我们观察到递送的宿主 mRNA 在真菌细胞中被翻译。灰霉病菌中两种转移宿主 mRNA 的异位表达表明它们的蛋白质对感染有害。与这些转移的 mRNA 相对应的基因的拟南芥敲除突变体更容易受到影响。因此，植物有一种通过将 mRNA 转运到真菌细胞中来减少感染的策略。从植物转移到病原真菌的 mRNA 被翻译来削弱感染，从而提供有助于对抗作物病害的知识。