(A) Images show the various steps in apoplastic washing fluid (AWF) isolation from Arabidopsis (detached leaves protocol, Method 1 in Figure 2). The distinct proximal (petiole) part of leaves was removed using scissors, and the distal (blade) zones of leaves were collected. The leaves were placed in a syringe and gently vacuumed with infiltration buffer. The syringe with taped leaves was placed into a 50 ml conical tube, and then centrifuged at 900 × g to collect the apoplastic washing fluid. (B) Schematic of EVs isolated by differential centrifugation of AWF from Arabidopsis. The clean AWF was centrifuged at 100,000 × g to obtain the P100 EV fraction. Sup, Supernatant. (C) Schematic of EVs treated with micrococcal (MNase) and proteinase K. (D) EV-enriched sRNAs (TAS1c-siR483, TAS2-siR453 and miRNA166) were detected in nuclease-treated EVs or proteinase plus nuclease-treated EVs. Actin gene was used as the control. The “total” lane indicates total RNAs from leaves.