Table 1.

Studies supporting claims or hypothesis presented in Fig. 2.

#	Claim/hypothesis	Support
a	Subcellular localization of tRNAs and their association to the translation apparatus is dynamic	Reviewed in Wilusz [165]
b, b’	tRNAs are incorporated into EVs in a non-selective, concentration-driven manner	Extrapolation from Gámbaro et al. [29]
c	The RNA-binding protein YBX1 mediates active incorporation of tRNAs into EVs	[72]
d	EVs contain more full-length tRNAs than tRNA-derived fragments	[72,119]
e	Passive release of tRNAs to the non-EV fraction by damaged or dead cells	[119]
f	Some ncRNA fragments are resistant to degradation and accumulate in the non-EV fraction	[8,28,119]
g	Cells can sense extracellular, nonvesicular tRNA-derived fragments	Ivanov et al. [17] (spontaneous uptake of Ala/Cys 5ʹ tRNA halves)
h	Stressed cells cleave tRNAs and generate stress-induced tRNA halves	[9,6,10]
i, i’	Stress-induced tRNA halves are then encapsulated in EVs and released to the extracellular space	Extrapolation from Gámbaro et al. 2020
j	Recognition of EV-associated stress-induced tRNA halves prepare neighbouring cells to imminent stress	Speculation inspired by interferon response during viral infections
k	Active release of tRNA-derived fragments to the non-EV extracellular fraction [in stressed cells]	Extrapolation from Jeppesen et al. [117]