This site needs JavaScript to work properly. Please enable it to take advantage of the complete set of features!
Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

NIH NLM Logo
Log in
Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Review
. 2019 Nov 14;20(22):5695.
doi: 10.3390/ijms20225695.

Extracellular Vesicles-Connecting Kingdoms

Affiliations
Review

Extracellular Vesicles-Connecting Kingdoms

Eric Woith et al. Int J Mol Sci. .

Abstract

It is known that extracellular vesicles (EVs) are shed from cells of almost every type of cell or organism, showing their ubiquity in all empires of life. EVs are defined as naturally released particles from cells, delimited by a lipid bilayer, and cannot replicate. These nano- to micrometer scaled spheres shuttle a set of bioactive molecules. EVs are of great interest as vehicles for drug targeting and in fundamental biological research, but in vitro culture of animal cells usually achieves only small yields. The exploration of other biological kingdoms promises comprehensive knowledge on EVs broadening the opportunities for basic understanding and therapeutic use. Thus, plants might be sustainable biofactories producing nontoxic and highly specific nanovectors, whereas bacterial and fungal EVs are promising vaccines for the prevention of infectious diseases. Importantly, EVs from different eukaryotic and prokaryotic kingdoms are involved in many processes including host-pathogen interactions, spreading of resistances, and plant diseases. More extensive knowledge of inter-species and interkingdom regulation could provide advantages for preventing and treating pests and pathogens. In this review, we present a comprehensive overview of EVs derived from eukaryota and prokaryota and we discuss how better understanding of their intercommunication role provides opportunities for both fundamental and applied biology.

Keywords: archaea; cross-kingdom RNAi; eukaryota; extracellular vesicles; interkingdom communication; prokaryota.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Timeline of extracellular vesicle (EV) research throughout all empires. First recognized, in the late 1950s, EVs have been found throughout all empires of life. Although they were initially underestimated as "trash cans", diverse functions, as well as clinical applications, have been identified, such as their role as RNA transporters or their clinical use in regenerative medicine. ISEV, International Society for Extracellular Vesicles; MISEV, minimal information for studies of extracellular vesicles; MSC, mesenchymal stem cell; MVB, multi vesicular body; OMV, outer membrane vesicle; and sRNA, small noncoding RNA.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Bidirectional regulation of cancer via extracellular vesicles (EVs). Vesicular regulation can come to pass in both directions. Cancer cells can be affected positively by EVs from healthy cells, leading to tumor apoptosis or at least inhibition of progress. Meanwhile, EVs derived from cancer cells can also stimulate cancerogenesis or metastasis either in the microenvironment of the originating cell or in distant tissues. Additionally, EVs can be used as diagnostic tools, as well as therapeutic vehicles.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Intestinal resorption, processing, and release of extracellular vesicles (EVs). EVs can be absorbed by enterocytes via membrane fusion or endocytosis mechanisms. It remains ambiguous if food derived EVs can pass the intestinal barrier unprocessed, or if they induce changes inside the enterocyte, and therefore influence the cargo and release of enterocyte derived EVs. MVB, multivesicular body; sRNA, small noncoding RNA; MV, microvesicle.
Figure 4
Figure 4
Arms race in host–pathogen interaction. Irrespective of kingdom boundaries, the genuine role of extracellular vesicles (EVs) appears to be bilateral. On the one hand, they were proven to have protective properties, but, on the other hand, they also appear to contribute to the achievement of inherent aims, like enhancing virulence on pathogens side or improving host ́s immunity.

References

    1. Sager R., Palade G.E. Structure and development of the chloroplast in Chlamydomonas. I. The normal green cell. J. Biophys. Biochem. Cytol. 1957;3:463–488. doi: 10.1083/jcb.3.3.463. - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Sotelo J.R., Porter K.R. An electron microscope study of the rat ovum. J. Biophys. Biochem. Cytol. 1959;5:327–342. doi: 10.1083/jcb.5.2.327. - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. De S.N. Enterotoxicity of bacteria-free culture-filtrate of Vibrio cholerae. Nature. 1959;183:1533–1534. doi: 10.1038/1831533a0. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Chatterjee K.R., Das Gupta N.N., De M.L. Electron microscopic observations on the morphology of Mycobacterium leprae. Exp. Cell Res. 1959;18:521–527. doi: 10.1016/0014-4827(59)90317-9. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Jensen W.A. The composition and ultrastructure of the nucellus in cotton. J. Ultrastruct. Res. 1965;13:112–128. doi: 10.1016/S0022-5320(65)80092-2. - DOI

LinkOut - more resources

Full text links
MDPI full text link MDPI Free PMC article
Cite

AltStyle によって変換されたページ (->オリジナル) /