A ROCing ride to plasmodesmata: the organelle hitchhiking of mobile mRNA transport

In plants, mobile mRNAs travel between cells through intercellular pores, plasmodesmata, and a long distance via phloem in the vascular tissue, to modulate plant development systemically. However, how mobile mRNAs target plasmodesmata to initiate cell-to-cell movement is unclear. Dr. Tien-Shin Yu’s group in the Institute of Plant and Microbial Biology unveiled the machinery supporting the intracellular transport of mobile mRNAs. They identified endosomal RNA-binding proteins ROCs specifically bridge mobile mRNAs onto the surface of endosomes. The organelle-bound mobile mRNA complex co-transports with endosomes through cytoskeleton networks toward plasmodesmata. This study reveals a hitchhiking strategy is used to direct mobile mRNAs for intercellular delivery. The results have been published in the January issue of Nature Plants in 2024.