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Polarized cells display asymmetric release of extracellular vesicles
Author(s) -
Colombo Federico,
Casella Giacomo,
Podini Paola,
Finardi Annamaria,
Racchetti Gabriella,
Norton Erienne Grace,
Cocucci Emanuele,
Furlan Roberto
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
traffic
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.677
H-Index - 130
eISSN - 1600-0854
pISSN - 1398-9219
DOI - 10.1111/tra.12775
Subject(s) - microvesicles , microbiology and biotechnology , vesicle , biology , budding , exosome , epithelial polarity , extracellular , microvesicle , membrane , biochemistry , microrna , gene
Extracellular vesicles (EVs), a broad term for the lipid microparticles known as microvesicles and exosomes, are discharged by cells into their surrounding space. Microvesicles are discharged upon outward plasma membrane budding, while exosomes are secreted after multivesicular body (MVB) fusion with the plasma membrane. The majority of information regarding EV biology comes from studies performed in non‐polarized cells. Here we characterize EV release in polarized cells. We found a substantial asymmetry in the number and composition of EVs produced and released from the apical membrane of epithelial cells as compared to the basolateral membrane. We showed that the quantitative difference is related to the polarized distribution of two phosphoinositide species between the two cell surfaces and that the peculiar biochemical composition of resultant EVs reflects their site of origin. In particular, apical and basolateral exosomes may derive from distinct classes of MVBs originating from and fusing with the same plasma membrane. We identify VAMP8/Endobrevin as a regulator of the basolateral release of exosomes, whereas the mechanism responsible for apical EV release requires further study.