J Integr Plant Biol.

• Research Article • Previous Articles    

N-glycosylation profiles of apoplast nanoparticles modulate plant immune responses to different pathogens in Arabidopsis

Guanting Niu, Hao Lu, Tunyu Jian, Xiaoqin Ding, Bei Tong, Yanan Gai, Xiuhua Meng, Han Lv, Mimi Li and Jian Chen*   

  1. Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Plant Resources, Institute of Botany, Jiangsu Province and ChineseAcademy of Sciences (Nanjing Botanical Garden Menmorial Sun Yat‐Sen), Nanjing 210014, China

    *Correspondence: Jian Chen (chenjian80@aliyun.com)

  • Received:2025-03-31 Accepted:2025-12-23 Online:2026-02-17
  • Supported by:
    This work was ?nancially supported by grants from the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 32100253and 81973463). Support was also received from Jiangsu Provincial Service Center for Antidiabetic Drug Screening.

Abstract: Plants are constantly challenged by diverse pathogens and respond through multilayered immune mechanisms described by the classical “zig-zag” model. Apoplast nanoparticles (ANs), extracellular vesicle (EV)-like entities, are dynamically remodeled during plant–pathogen interactions. Although EVs are known to carry immune-regulatory cargos, the specificity and coordination of ANs protein responses to distinct pathogens remain largely unresolved. Here, we show that the glycosylation profiles of ANs and their N-glycoproteins undergo distinct remodeling upon infection with Pseudomonas syringae and Botrytis cinerea, as revealed by lectin microarray and mass spectrometry analyses. We identify SPILR, an ANs protein that modulates bacterial morphology and motility by reducing polygalacturonase activity and inhibiting the bacterial flagellar P-ring protein, FlgI. Additionally, the ESM1 protein enhances Arabidopsis resistance to B. cinerea through modulation of lipase activity and lipid metabolism. Disruption of N-glycosylation sites on ANs proteins compromises their antimicrobial function and alters host resistance to both bacterial and fungal pathogens. Together, our findings uncover N-glycosylation as a critical determinant of ANs-mediated extracellular immunity, highlighting glycosylation as an integrative mechanism linking vesicle biology, pathogen specificity, and immune signaling. This work establishes a framework for glycoengineering-based strategies to enhance crop resistance and advance nano-agricultural applications.

Key words: apoplast, extracellular vesicles, nanoparticles, N‐glycosylation, plant immunity

Editorial Office, Journal of Integrative Plant Biology, Institute of Botany, CAS
No. 20 Nanxincun, Xiangshan, Beijing 100093, China
Tel: +86 10 6283 6133 Fax: +86 10 8259 2636 E-mail: jipb@ibcas.ac.cn
Copyright © 2026 by the Institute of Botany, the Chinese Academy of Sciences
Online ISSN: 1744-7909 Print ISSN: 1672-9072 CN: 11-5067/Q
备案号:京ICP备16067583号-22