Table 1 Characteristics of common extracellular vesicles
From: Migrasomes, critical players in intercellular communication
EVs subtype | Size(nm) | Biogenesis | Biomarkers | Lifecycle | Detection methods | Reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Exosomes | 50–150 | Formed via the endosomal sorting complexes required for transport (ESCRT)-dependent or ESCRT-independent pathways. Involves Rab GTPases (e.g., Rab27, Rab11) for MVB fusion and exosome release. | Alix, Tsg101, HSP70, CD9, CD63, CD81, Flotillin-1, Syntenin-1 and MHC I/II | A few minutes to a few hours | ELISA, Flow Cytometry, NTA, TEM, Western Blot (WB), qPCR, Immunocapture | |
Microvesicles | 100–1000 | Involves cytoskeleton rearrangement triggered by stimuli like calcium influx or oxidative stress, leading to membrane blebbing via actin-myosin contraction. | CD40, Tissue factor and Integrins, Selectins, P-selectin, Glycoprotein Ib and Annexin V | Approximately 10 to 300 min | Dynamic Light Scattering, Flow Cytometry, NTA, TEM, WB, Mass Spectrometry | |
Migrasomes | 500–3000 | Formed at tubular junctions, driven by membrane tension. They can also form at retraction fiber tips during cell migration and be released upon fiber detachment. | TSPAN4, Integrin 5α, CPQ, NDST1, PIGK, EOGT and WGA | About 400 min | Microscopy, TEM, Super-resolution microscopy, Fluorescent Confocal Microscopy | |
Apoptotic bodies | 50-5000 | Result from the fragmentation of cells undergoing apoptosis, containing nuclear and cytoplasmic components. | Annexin A1, Annexin 5, C3b, Thrombospandin, DNA fragments, Caspase-3, Histone and phosphatidylserine | About 10 to 300Â min | Flow Cytometry, DNA Fragmentation Assay, WB, TEM, Propidium Iodide (PI) Staining | |
Large oncosomes | 1000–10,000 | Released by highly migratory and invasive cancer cells, often linked to aggressive tumors. | Caveolin-1, ADP ribosylation factor 6, MT1-MMP, Rab5a and Cytokeratin-18 | A few minutes to a few hours | Flow Cytometry, NTA, TEM, WB, NMR | |
Exomeres | ≤ 50 | Generated from cells without involving membrane vesiculation, possibly through direct cytoplasmic release. The exact pathway remains unclear. | TGFBI, EN01, GPC1, Integrin β1 and Annexin A2 | A few minutes to a few hours | Ultracentrifugation, WB, NTA, TEM, Surface Plasmon Resonance (SPR) |