Extracellular vesicles as Trojan Horses encapsulating miRNAs to mediate battle between a predator fungus and prey nematode

ABSTRACT: Predator-prey dynamics are fundamental drivers of ecosystem stability, having evolved over millions of years through complex co-evolutionary processes. Despite the critical role these dynamics play, the molecular mechanisms underpinning such interactions, particularly the communication and defense strategies between predator and prey, remain largely elusive. Nematode-trapping fungi (NTFs), including Arthrobotrys oligospora, have evolved specialized trapping structures to capture nematodes, yet how these fungi engage in molecular crosstalk with their prey has been insufficiently explored.Here, we demonstrate that A. oligospora releases extracellular vesicles (EVs) containing odorants, such as phenylethyl alcohol, which function as olfactory cues to attract nematodes. Additionally, we show that fungal microRNAs (miRNAs), specifically Ao-miR263 and Ao-miR384, are encapsulated within these EVs and delivered into the nematode hosts. Once internalized, these miRNAs target key regulatory genes involved in nematode physiology, thereby enhancing fungal predation efficiency. In a sophisticated counter-defensive maneuver, nematodes respond by releasing their own EVs containing miRNA let-7, which is capable of suppressing fungal virulence-related genes, neutralizing the predatory advantage. Our findings uncover a previously unknown dimension of predator-prey dynamics, wherein extracellular vesicles act as vehicles for molecular warfare, mediating a tit-for-tat exchange of miRNAs between fungi and nematodes. This study not only broadens our understanding of the molecular underpinnings of these interactions but also sheds light on the broader ecological implications of EV-mediated communication in predator-prey systems.

ORGANISM(S): Caenorhabditis elegans Orbilia oligospora

PROVIDER: GSE280052 | GEO | 2026/10/01

REPOSITORIES: GEO