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Results for “Extracellular Vesicles”

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PubMed1993

Specific adherence of Borrelia burgdorferi extracellular vesicles to human endothelial cells in culture.

Borrelia burgdorferi produces extracellular vesicles which contain some of the outer surface proteins of the bacterium (e.g., OspA and OspB). Borrelial vesicles, isolated by differential centrifugation and filtration, were tested for the ability to bind to cultured human umbilical vein endothelial (HUVE) cells in culture. The recently described lipoprotein OspD was expressed on vesicles. Vesicles exhibited differential expression of OspB and OspD in a relationship with passage number and medium serum supplement type, respectively. Qualitative immunoblotting analyses demonstrated dose-dependent, passage number-dependent adsorption of vesicles by HUVE cells. This adsorption was demonstrated to be dependent upon a borrelial component of the vesicle and not due to the presence of minor contamination with intact spirochetes. Quantitative experiments examining inhibition of B. burgdorferi-HUVE association as a function of prior vesicle-HUVE association demonstrated dependence upon (i) a borrelial component(s) in the vesicle, (ii) low passage number, and (iii) vesicle protein concentration. However, vesicle pretreatment of the HUVE cell monolayer was not requisite for this inhibition. Vesicles from highly passaged borrelias were noninhibitory for B. burgdorferi-HUVE cell association, regardless of the serum used to supplement the medium. The use of vesicles as a tool for studying B. burgdorferi pathogenesis and/or physiology is proposed.

Adsorption↗

PubMed2026

Small extracellular vesicles are the key players in ochratoxin A-induced kidney toxicity.

BACKGROUND: Despite growing evidence of ochratoxin A (OTA)-induced kidney toxicity, the underlying mechanisms remain elusive. Emerging evidence suggests that small extracellular vesicles (sEVs) act as mediators of intercellular communication to recipient cells during various physiological and pathological conditions. Given the distinctive properties of sEVs, it is hypothesized that OTA-induced sEVs might mediate the OTA-induced kidney pathogenesis. METHODS: To explore the involvement of sEVs in OTA-induced kidney toxicity, sEVs were isolated and characterized from OTA-exposed rat kidney epithelial cells (NRK52E). Later, these sEVs were used to treat NRK52E cells and Wistar rats to assess the impact of OTA-induced sEVs on kidney toxicity. Label-free proteomics was also performed on OTA-induced sEVs, and key proteins were identified and validated. The biodistribution of sEVs in rats was also assessed using live imaging. The role of validated protein/s in kidney toxicity was further confirmed via a gene silencing and overexpression study. RESULTS: OTA exposure increased sEV secretion into conditioned media of NRK52E cells and into the urine of Wistar rats. Interestingly, we found that OTA-induced sEVs cause similar kidney toxicity in vitro and in vivo systems as OTA exposure, and blocking of sEV secretion markedly alleviated OTA-mediated kidney toxicity. Proteomics analysis identified annexin A2 and fibrinogen-ɣ as common proteins detected in sEVs derived from OTA-exposed NRK52E cells or rat urine. However, immunoblotting validated that annexin A2 was the only sEV-associated protein, expressed significantly in both NRK52E and rat urine following OTA exposure. Notably, silencing of annexin A2 attenuated the ability of OTA-induced sEVs to cause kidney toxicity, whereas overexpression exacerbates it. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings identify the annexin A2-enriched sEVs as key mediators of OTA-induced kidney toxicity. Annexin A2, along with other kidney injury markers, offers a promising non-invasive translational biomarker for early detection and monitoring of OTA-induced kidney toxicity.

Ochratoxins↗

PubMed2026

Extracellular Vesicles From Glioblastoma Cells Reflect 2D vs. 3D Culture Adaptation and Resistance to Temozolomide.

Glioblastoma (GBM) is an aggressive brain tumor marked by extensive heterogeneity, resistance to therapy, and dismal prognosis. Extracellular vesicles (EVs) have emerged as key players in GBM biology, mediating intercellular communication and therapy adaptation. However, the exact functions and molecular impact of EVs in GBM remain incompletely understood. In this study, we performed a comparative proteomic analysis of U87MG GBM cells grown in two-dimensional (2D) monolayers and three-dimensional (3D) spheroids following temozolomide (TMZ) treatment, alongside characterization of EVs derived from both culture systems. 3D-spheroids secreted more EVs of smaller size and exhibited a more TMZ-resistant, stem-like proteome under TMZ-induced genotoxic stress. In contrast, 2D cell cultures demonstrated greater proteome remodeling, with EVs enriched in protein families involved in DNA repair, oxidative stress adaptation, and methylation processes. Notably, several methyltransferases were decreased intracellularly but selectively retained in EVs, suggesting active sorting to influence the tumor microenvironment or modulate epigenetic states in recipient cells. EVs also carried adhesion molecules and signaling proteins linked to migration, invasion, and Wnt pathway activation, as well as metabolic enzymes connecting serine metabolism and redox control to TMZ resistance. Mapping EV and cellular proteomes onto The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) dataset identified prognostic protein families associated with either poor or favorable patient outcomes. Our data demonstrate that EV cargo composition mirrors TMZ-induced phenotypic adaptation and reveals molecular mechanisms underlying therapeutic resistance. These EV-associated signatures may serve as clinically actionable biomarkers for patient stratification and offer potential targets to overcome chemoresistance in GBM.

Humans↗

PubMed2025

MicroRNAs signatures in small extracellular vesicles for psychological resilience in young adults using machine learning.

AIMS: Psychological resilience refers to an individual's capacity to adapt to adverse events. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) play a crucial role in regulating post-transcriptional processes, while small extracellular vesicles (sEVs) act as transport vehicles. This study aimed to employ genome-wide profiling to identify and validate differences in the expression of resilience-associated sEV-miRNAs between low resilience (LR) and high resilience (HR) in young adults. METHODS: Eighty participants were divided into LR or HR based on the Connor - Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC). The expression levels of the target sEV-miRNAs in LR and HR were compared and analyzed. RESULTS: Expression analyses demonstrated significant differences in let-7b, miR-151b, miR-335, and miR-193a between LR and HR (p < 0.01), with let-7b showing the highest discriminative ability. The AUC values for each sEV-miRNA ranged from 0.74 to 0.94, based on logistic regression and three machine learning models: random forest, support vector machine, and eXtreme gradient boosting. Based on leave-one-out cross-validation in different models, the combined four sEV-miRNAs demonstrated strong performance for detecting LR (AUC = 0.87-0.90). Sex-specific differences were also observed, with female participants showing more pronounced resilience signatures in targeted sEV-miRNAs. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that sEV-miRNAs hold potential as biomarkers for psychological resilience in young adults.

Humans↗

PubMed2026

TNFα-induced endothelial extracellular vesicles regulate astrocyte function: an integrated transcriptomic and proteomic study.

Endothelial cells and astrocytes are critical structural and functional components of the blood-brain barrier. In many neuroinflammatory diseases, endothelial cells are among the first to respond to inflammatory stimuli and release extracellular vesicles (EVs). However, whether inflammatory stimulation alters EV RNA cargo and subsequently regulates astrocyte function remains unclear. In this study, we performed integrated RNA sequencing and proteomic analyses to investigate the effects of TNFα-stimulated endothelial EVs on astrocytes. RNA profiling revealed significant alterations in EV cargo after TNFα stimulation, including 867 upregulated and 577 downregulated mRNAs, 317 upregulated and 15 downregulated lncRNAs, and 88 upregulated and 62 downregulated miRNAs. The results of functional enrichment analysis suggested that altered EV RNAs may primarily promote inflammatory responses, cell migration, and RNA splicing in astrocytes while reducing their regulatory effects on neuronal projection and calcium homeostasis. Further integrative analysis of EV RNAs and astrocytic proteomics revealed key overlapping targets, including upregulated expression of ICAM1, SOD2, TFPI2, and TNFAIP8, whereas NFKBIA expression was consistently decreased. Network analysis revealed NF-κB as the central regulatory node. Reduced levels of EV-derived NFKBIA mRNA were associated with decreased IκBα protein levels in astrocytes, which promoted NF-κB activation and inflammatory cytokine release. Finally, overexpression of IκBα in astrocytes significantly attenuated TNFα EV-induced IL-1β and IL-6 secretion. Collectively, these findings demonstrate that TNFα-stimulated endothelial EVs coordinately regulate astrocyte function through mRNA, lncRNA, and miRNA cargo and that the IκBα/NF-κB axis may be a key mechanism underlying endothelial EV-mediated inflammatory disruption of the blood-brain barrier.

Astrocytes↗

PubMed2026

Food-derived extracellular vesicles as delivery platforms for medicine-food homology components in metabolic syndrome.

Diet-induced obesity and associated metabolic syndromes have become major global public health challenge, highlighting the urgent need for safe and effective strategies. Recently, food-derived extracellular vesicles (FDEVs) have garnered increasing attention as natural nanocarriers due to their excellent biocompatibility and specific targeted delivery capabilities. FDEVs can efficiently deliver medicine-food homology components (MFHCs) to precisely regulate lipid metabolism, inflammatory responses, and insulin sensitivity, thereby improving obesity and its metabolic abnormalities. This systematic review summarizes recent advances in the use of FDEVs as delivery vehicles for MFHCs to suppress diet-induced obesity and metabolic syndrome, with a particular focus on the underlying molecular mechanisms, including signaling pathway regulation and cellular metabolic remodeling. In addition, the clinical translational potential and industrial application prospects of FDEVs are evaluated, and key challenges related to preparation techniques, safety assessment, and large-scale production are discussed. By integrating current evidence, this review aims to provide theoretical framework and future perspectives for the development of FDEVs as a novel targeted delivery platform and treatment of metabolic diseases.

Extracellular Vesicles↗

PubMed2025

TGF-β Receptor-dependent Tissue Factor Release and Proteomic Profiling of Extracellular Vesicles from Mechanically Compressed Human Bronchial Epithelial Cells.

In asthma, tissue factor (TF) concentrations are elevated in the lung. In our previous studies using mechanically compressed human bronchial epithelial (HBE) cells, which are a well-defined in vitro model of bronchoconstriction during asthma exacerbations, we detected TF within extracellular vesicles (EVs) released from compressed HBE cells. Here, to better characterize the potential role of this mechanism in asthma, we tested the extent to which the transcriptional regulation of epithelial cell-derived TF varied between donors with and without asthma. Using RNA in situ hybridization, we detected epithelial expression of F3, the TF protein-encoding gene, in human airways. Next, to determine the role of TGF-β receptor (TGF-βR) in the regulation of TF, we exposed well-differentiated HBE cells to mechanical compression in the presence or absence of a pharmacological inhibitor of TGF-βR. Furthermore, to identify the protein cargo of EVs released from HBE cells, we used tandem mass tag mass spectrometry. Our findings revealed significantly higher F3 expression in the airways of patients with asthma compared with healthy control subjects. However, we observed no differences in F3 expression or TF release between asthmatic and nonasthmatic HBE cells, both at baseline and after compression. Mechanistically, compression-induced F3 expression in HBE cells depended on TGF-βR. Our proteomic analysis identified 22 differentially released proteins in EVs, with higher concentrations in compressed cells compared with controls. Gene Ontology analysis indicates that these proteins are involved in diverse biological processes, highlighting a potential role for epithelial cell-derived EVs during asthma exacerbations.

Humans↗

PubMed2026

Tumor-associated macrophages display differential protein cargo sorting in extracellular vesicles associated with poor survival in ovarian cancer.

Ovarian cancer (OC) progression and metastasis are promoted by ascites, which constitutes a central part of the tumor microenvironment (TME). In this fluid, tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) represent a prominent immune cell type. In addition to tumor and other host cells such as TAMs, ascites is highly enriched in soluble factors as well as extracellular vesicles (EVs). How TAMs contribute to the EV compartment of the OC TME remains, however, underexplored. In this work peripheral blood monocytes from healthy donors were differentiated into monocyte-derived macrophages (MDMs) and polarized into classically activated (M1-like), alternatively activated (M2-like) and TAM-like (by ascites incubation). For all subtypes, serum-free conditioned medium was collected for 24 h and EVs were isolated and characterized by nano-flow cytometry (nFC), label-free mass spectrometry-based proteomics and electron microscopy, among others. Our results demonstrated distinct traits for EV release and cargo across the different macrophage subtypes. Specifically, TAM-like macrophages exhibited impaired release of small EVs and reduced frequency of tetraspanin-positive particles. These EV subpopulations displayed sizing profiles closer to M1-like than to M2-like samples. Also, the low EV release in TAM-like MDMs was accompanied by altered expression of biogenesis-related markers like flotillin-1 (FLOT1) and a decreased N-glycosylation of CD63 protein, which was validated in patient-derived samples. Remarkably, the EV-associated proteome of TAMs displayed significant enrichment in both pro- and anti-inflammatory molecules with clinical value. Markers significantly enriched in the ascites TAM-EV signature were mostly associated with poor prognosis, whereas M1-like EV-related markers (pro-inflammatory) were mostly associated with longer survival. Our results confirmed previous data for proteins like CD163 and MRC1 to be associated to TAM-EVs, while also describing novel candidates with diagnostic (i.e., COLEC12) and/or prognostic (i.e., MSR1) value in plasma. Taken together, our data support a unique secretory profile of TAMs in OC and provide new EV-associated biomarkers with translational impact. Our results pave the way for a better understanding of the mechanisms behind TAM-EV cargo loading and function, and how these cells participate in the TME landscape.

Humans↗

PubMed2024

Platelet-derived mitochondria regulate lipid metabolism in nonalcoholic steatohepatitis through extracellular vesicles.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Immune system activation, along with lipotoxicity due to excessive lipid droplet (LD) accumulation in the liver, are key drivers of NASH. Extracellular vesicles (EVs) released by cells that carry biological signals contribute to intercellular communication. However, the roles of immune cell-derived EVs in the pathogenesis of NASH are unclear. APPROACH AND RESULTS: Platelets are abundant in blood. We explored the role of platelet-derived EVs (pEVs) in LD accumulation from 30 patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease of different severity as well as 20 healthy subjects, a rat model, and an in vitro cell-based assay. There was increased platelet activation, accompanied by pEVs release, in NASH patients/rat model, and palmitate-treated cells. The mitochondria in the platelets and pEVs from NASH patients/rats were increased but dysfunctional, including a reduction in fatty acid β-oxidation, inactivated acetyl-CoA carboxylase 2, and suppressed oxidative phosphorylation system complex II/III/IV activity. These damaged mitochondria could be transferred to hepatocytes through pEVs to increase the number of lipid droplet-bound mitochondria. An increase in dysfunctional lipid droplet-bound mitochondria in hepatocytes affects lipid metabolism, resulting in excessive LD accumulation, elevated mitochondrial reactive oxygen species production, and apoptosis. CONCLUSIONS: We offer a novel molecular mechanism that connects platelets, pEVs, and excessive LD accumulation to the development of NASH. Our results suggest that NASH progression may be alleviated by specifically inhibiting the production and release of pEVs, or by targeting pEV components and inhibiting their uptake. Additional experiments are required to confirm this potentiality.

Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease↗

PubMed1996

[A study of gingivain from extracellular vesicles of Porphyromonas gingivalis W50: purification and cytotoxic characterization].

Gingivain was purified from extracellular vesicles of Porphyromonas gingivalis W50 with high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and its cytotoxic characterization on L929 cell line was examined. The result showed that gingivain might belong to systeine proteinases. The molecular weight of gingivain was about 27,800 unit by HPLC in which there might be one or two peptides being 10,900 unit, the enzyme was activated by Ca2+ and thiol-containing agents such as dithiothycitol and inhibited by Na-4-tosyl-L-lysine chioromethyl and EDTA. The maximum activity of the enzyme were found at pH 7.5, purified gingivain was toxic to L929 cell line at the content of 10 micrograms/ml. The study indicates that gingivain carried by vesicles might be more important in bacterial toxic activities.

Bacterial Proteins↗

PubMed1990

Interaction of extracellular vesicles of Bacteroides gingivalis W50 with human polymorphonuclear leucocytes.

The effects of B. gingivalis W50 extracellular vesicles (ECV) on neutrophil chemotaxis and viability were assessed and compared with those of whole cells and the extracellular non-dialysable soluble protein (EP) fraction. None of the fractions tested, including soluble fractions derived from cells and ECV by sonication, induced neutrophil chemotaxis. Only ECV and cells inhibited f-MLP-stimulated chemotaxis. ECV and cells were cytotoxic towards neutrophils. The cytotoxic response was time dependent. The soluble EP fraction did not influence cell viability.

Bacteroides↗

PubMed2024

Use of extracellular vesicle microRNA profiles in patients with acute myeloid leukemia for the identification of novel biomarkers.

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to establish clinically significant microRNA (miRNA) sets using extracellular vesicles (EVs) from bone marrow (BM) aspirates of patients with acute myelogenous leukemia (AML), and to identify the genes that interact with these EV-derived miRNAs in AML. MATERIALS AND METHODS: BM aspirates were collected from 32 patients with AML at the time of AML diagnosis. EVs were isolated using size-exclusion chromatography. A total of 965 EV-derived miRNAs were identified in all the samples. RESULTS: We analyzed the expression levels of these EV-derived miRNAs of the favorable (n = 10) and non-favorable (n = 22) risk groups; we identified 32 differentially expressed EV-derived miRNAs in the non-favorable risk group. The correlation of these miRNAs with risk stratification and patient survival was analyzed using the information of patients with AML from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database. Of the miRNAs with downregulated expression in the non-favorable risk group, hsa-miR-181b and hsa-miR-143 were correlated with non-favorable risk and short overall survival. Regarding the miRNAs with upregulated expression in the non-favorable risk group, hsa-miR-188 and hsa-miR-501 were correlated with non-favorable risk and could predict poor survival. Through EV-derived miRNAs-mRNA network analysis using TCGA database, we identified 21 mRNAs that could be potential poor prognosis biomarkers. CONCLUSIONS: Overall, our findings revealed that EV-derived miRNAs can serve as biomarkers for risk stratification and prognosis in AML. In addition, these EV-derived miRNA-based bioinformatic analyses could help efficiently identify mRNAs with biomarker potential, similar to the previous cell-based approach.

Humans↗

PubMed2026

Novel serum small extracellular vesicle miRNAs with multi-target RCA-CRISPR sensor for liver cancer detection.

BACKGROUND: Detecting liver cancer (LC) remains a significant challenge in clinical practice. Small extracellular vesicle (sEV) miRNAs show promise as non-invasive biomarkers for LC detection, yet their diagnostic potential remains largely unexplored. This study aimed to identify specific sEV miRNA signatures for LC detection and develop a novel synchronized multi-miRNA detection platform to enhance diagnostic efficiency and sensitivity. METHODS: High-throughput sequencing was conducted across four distinct cohorts: normal controls (NC), hepatitis B virus (HBV) patients, liver cirrhosis patients, and LC patients. This sequencing process identified miRNAs with differential expression, followed by RT-qPCR validation in serum sEV miRNAs from LC patients and NC. An innovative detection method, RCA-CRISPR, was introduced, combining rolling circle amplification (RCA) with CRISPR/Cas12a (RCA-CRISPR) for quick and sensitive miRNAs detection. RESULTS: Sequencing results showed a consistent elevation of hsa-miR-203b-5p, hsa-miR-4661-5p, and hsa-miR-219a-2-3p across all cohorts. RT-qPCR validations confirmed significant upregulation of these miRNAs in serum sEVs from LC patients, and the combined three-miRNA panel exhibited high diagnostic accuracy (p = 0.0003; AUC = 0.81). The RCA-CRISPR method demonstrated a detection limit of 3.12 pM for simultaneous multi-target miRNA detection, highlighting its exceptional sensitivity. CONCLUSIONS: Our study identifies hsa-miR-203b-5p, hsa-miR-4661-5p, and hsa-miR-219a-2-3p as promising sEV miRNA biomarkers for LC detection. The developed RCA-CRISPR sensor provides a robust tool for multi-miRNA analysis, potentially advancing non-invasive LC diagnostics. Future validation in larger, prospectively collected cohorts is essential to establish the clinical utility and performance of this biomarker panel and RCA-CRISPR sensor.

MicroRNAs↗

PubMed2026

Urinary Small Extracellular Vesicle DNA as a Biomarker for the Non-Invasive Diagnosis of Bladder Cancer.

Existing diagnostic technologies for bladder cancer (BC) suffer from low sensitivity, low specificity, or a lack of validation. Therefore, validated, non-invasive diagnostic biomarkers with high sensitivity and specificity for early detection of BC are needed to complement and improve upon the limitations of existing diagnostic methods. We used low-pass whole genome sequencing (LP-WGS) technology to detect copy number variations (CNVs) in small extracellular vesicle (sEV) DNA isolated from urine samples of patients. Based on these results, we constructed and validated a diagnostic model to differentiate between benign and malignant bladder lesions. We conducted a receiver operating characteristic analysis and calculated the area under the curve (AUC) to evaluate the performance of the diagnostic model. The urine sEV-DNA LP-WGS data revealed CNV differences between benign and malignant samples. The diagnostic model achieved an AUC of 0.953, a sensitivity of 86.7%, and a specificity of 100% in the training cohort and an AUC of 0.985, a sensitivity of 90%, and a specificity of 100% in the validation cohort. Even at the lowest coverage depth of 0.01X, the performance of the diagnostic model remained relatively robust. Notably, the performance of this diagnostic model surpassed that of the biomarker neuron-specific enolase (sensitivity: 85.7% vs. 64.3%; specificity: 100% vs. 87.5%) and urinary cytology (sensitivity: 100% vs. 66.7%; specificity: 100% vs. 94.1%). Our study demonstrates that urine sEV-DNA exhibits high discriminatory power in distinguishing between benign and malignant bladder lesions, making it a promising tool for auxiliary diagnosis of BC.

Humans↗

PubMed1990

Aggregation of Actinomyces strains by extracellular vesicles produced by Bacteroides gingivalis.

The aggregation of Actinomyces viscosus and Actinomyces naeslundii with extracellular vesicles of Bacteroides gingivalis was studied. Factors influencing the aggregation phenomenon were examined. L-Arginine was found to effectively inhibit aggregation as was an antibody preparation directed against a B. gingivalis surface hemagglutinin. Aggregation occurred over a wide pH range and did not seem to be affected by high salt concentrations or the presence of carbohydrates. Treatment of the vesicle preparation with proteases, sodium dodecyl sulphate, and high temperatures diminished or eliminated aggregation, while similar treatment of the Actinomyces had no effect on aggregation.

Actinomyces↗

PubMed2025

Extracellular vesicle proteomic expression is influenced by mining tenure in former uranium miners.

BACKGROUND: Chronic exposure to uranium (U) rich environments poses significant health risks, yet the molecular mechanisms underlying these effects remain poorly understood. Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are membrane-bound vesicles that transfer multiple biomolecules between cells and can regulate cellular function. OBJECTIVE: To determine whether U-mining tenure is associated with specific alterations in serum-derived EV proteomic and plasma cytokine profiles among former U-miners, and to assess the potential of EV-derived proteins as robust biomarkers of chronic U-exposure relative to canonical cytokines. METHODS: Serum and plasma samples were obtained from 39 former U-miners. Small and large EVs were isolated via differential ultracentrifugation and characterized by nanoparticle tracking and western blotting. EV proteomic profiles were analyzed using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. Plasma cytokines were quantified using multiplex immunoassays. Age-adjusted linear regression was used to assess associations with mining tenure, and pathway enrichment analysis was performed on significant EV proteins. RESULTS: Eight small-EV and four large-EV proteins significantly correlated with mining tenure after age adjustment. Notably, Complement C1r subcomponent and Vitamin K-dependent protein S, and Fibrinogen alpha chain exhibited strong inverse correlations. Enrichment analyses highlighted immune-related and extracellular matrix pathways. Six cytokines were initially associated with mining tenure but lost significance after age adjustment. In contrast, EV protein associations appeared more robust for this confounding, underscoring their potential as exposure biomarkers. CONCLUSIONS: Serum EV-derived protein signatures were nominally associated with U-mining tenure independent of age, whereas cytokine profiles were confounded by age. These findings suggest that EV-derived proteins may provide sensitive biomarkers for monitoring long-term health effects of U-exposure, which warrants further investigation in larger cohorts.

Humans↗

PubMed2024

Bulk serum extracellular vesicles from stressed mice show a distinct proteome and induce behavioral and molecular changes in naive mice.

Chronic stress can trigger several pathologies including mood disorders for which no clear diagnostic molecular markers have been established yet. Attractive biomarker sources are extracellular vesicles (EVs). Evs are released by cells in health and disease and contain genetic material, proteins and lipids characteristic of the cell state. Here we show that Evs recovered from the blood of animals exposed to a repeated interrupted stress protocol (RIS) have a different protein profile compared to those obtained from control animals. Proteomic analysis indicated that proteins differentially present in bulk serum Evs from stressed animals were implicated in metabolic and inflammatory pathways and several of them were previously related to psychiatric disorders. Interestingly, these serum Evs carry brain-enriched proteins including the stress-responsive neuronal protein M6a. Then, we used an in-utero electroporation strategy to selectively overexpress M6a-GFP in brain neurons and found that M6a-GFP could also be detected in bulk serum Evs suggesting a neuronal origin. Finally, to determine if these Evs could have functional consequences, we administered Evs from control and RIS animals intranasally to naïve mice. Animals receiving stress EVs showed changes in behavior and brain M6a levels similar to those observed in physically stressed animals. Such changes could therefore be attributed, or at least in part, to EV protein transfer. Altogether these findings show that EVs may participate in stress signaling and propose proteins carried by EVs as a valuable source of biomarkers for stress-induced diseases.

Animals↗

PubMed2025

Trichomonas vaginalis extracellular vesicles activate the NLRP3 inflammasome and TLR3-mediated inflammatory cascades in host cells.

Trichomonas vaginalis (TV) is a flagellated parasite that causes trichomoniasis, the most common non-viral sexually transmitted infection (STI), with over 275 million cases annually. TV has been shown to secrete extracellular vesicles (TV-EVs) to regulate intercellular communication between parasites and host immune response; however, the mechanisms by innate immunity against TV-EVs are largely unknown. Herein, we aim to investigate the molecular mechanisms of inflammation induced by TV-EVs and identify novel proteins modulating the immune response in host cells. Firstly, the morphological characteristics of TV-EVs have been analyzed by transmission electron microscope (TEM) and nanoparticle tracking analysis, revealing that the vesicles are round-shaped bilayer membrane structures with size mostly about 100-120 nm. Additionally, the internalization of TV-EVs by host cells has been validated through immunofluorescence and TEM analysis. The multiplex immunoassay identified that TV-EVs induce the secretion of inflammatory cytokines, including CXCL1, IL-6, IL-8 and MIP-1β in THP-1 macrophages and ectocervical cells (Ect). Mechanistically, TV-EVs induce TLR3 overexpression to activate the NF-κB/NLRP3 pathway in THP-1 macrophages. Additionally, TV-EVs activate the PI3K-mediated NF-κB, p38 MAPK and ERK pathways in Ect. Moreover, TV-EV-induced TLR3 overexpression positively regulates the PI3K and NF-κB pathways, while simultaneously suppressing the p38 MAPK and ERK pathways in Ect. Proteomic analysis identified that TV-EVs upregulate MICB and TRAF3IP2, which are also positively regulated by TLR3 and involved in TV-EV-induced inflammatory cascade. Altogether, this study significantly advances our understanding of the immunomodulatory roles of TV-EVs in host cells, paving the way for future treatment of trichomoniasis and TV-associated STIs.

Humans↗