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Characteristics, Events, and Stages in Tumorigenesis
Published in Franklyn De Silva, Jane Alcorn, The Elusive Road Towards Effective Cancer Prevention and Treatment, 2023
Franklyn De Silva, Jane Alcorn
Overall, EVs range in size from 30 nm to 1 mm [850, 853]. The diverse combinations of the content within EVs also contributes to their heterogeneity. An exact classification of EVs does not seem to exist, possibly due to their heterogeneity, overlap, and the lack of study [845, 849, 854–857]. Regardless, there are three prominent types which have been discussed in the literature and include exosomes (~10–150 nm), microvesicles (MVEs) (~150–1000 nm), and apoptotic bodies or apoptotic blebs (~1000–5000 nm) [830, 836, 837, 839, 841, 851, 854, 857, 858]. In addition, based on their size and the mechanisms involved in their generation, EVs can also be divided into two broad subfamilies, such as relatively ‘large vesicles' (from 200 nm to 1–2 µm in diameter) and ‘smaller vesicles' (from 30 to 150 nm in diameter) [835]. The other reported extracellular vesicles and particles (exosome independent or nonvesicle) are small EVs (∼40–150 nm) (such as Arrestin-domain-containing protein 1 (ARRDC1)-mediated microvesicles (ARMMs)); medium EVs (mEVs) (150–1000 nm); oncosomes or large oncosomes (∼1–10 μm released via vesicle budding and membrane scission and from amoeboid-like invasive tumor cells); larger MVEs such as amphisomes or nuecleosomes; exomeres (nonvesicular (NV) fractions obtained from high-resolution density gradient nonmembranous nanoparticles (≤35–50 nm), rich in metabolism related proteins like glycolysis and mTORC1 pathway components); nanovesicles; Argonaute 1–4 or AGO 1–4 proteins (miRNA-processing proteins that can transport as NV particles; Argonaute-bound micro-RNAs); major vault protein (large 41 nm by 72.5 nm ribonucleoprotein cytoplasmic particles); ectosomes (100–500 nm or 90–120 nm), and small exosomes (Exo-S) (60–80 nm); migrasomes (≤3000 nm, formed during cell migration); platelet-derived microparticles (~130–500 nm; also referred to as ‘platelet dust' released with platelet activation); prostasomes (50–500 nm, membrane-surrounded particles found only in prostatic fluid and seminal plasma); tolerosomes (released by intestinal epithelial, serum factor); epididymosomes (acquisition of new sperm proteins); dexosomes (released from dendritic cells); synaptic vesicles (released from neurons); and others that include promininosomes, texosomes, and archaeosomes [463, 464, 768, 828, 830, 831, 836, 837, 841–843, 849, 858–892]. Transport of bioactive cargos between cells is carried out by both MVs and exosomes [859, 893]. EVs may bud from the plasma membrane (ectosomal vesicles) or endosomal compartment (endosomes) [849].
Extracellular vesicle cargo of the male reproductive tract and the paternal preconception environment
Published in Systems Biology in Reproductive Medicine, 2021
Ahmet Ayaz, Emily Houle, J. Richard Pilsner
Since spermatozoa are transcriptionally and translationally inert cells lacking motility after spermatogenesis, EVs in the male reproductive tract have been shown to play a pivotal role in post-testicular sperm maturation and fertilization capacity. As early as the early 1990s, the importance of prostasomes was reported with studies showing that inclusion of prostasomes in swim-up media improved the recovery of hyperactive motile sperm (Fabiani et al. 1994). In 2003, Palmerini et al. reported that fusion of prostasomes to human spermatozoa increased the sensitivity of sperm to the effect of progesterone on the induction of the acrosome reaction (Palmerini et al. 2003). Subsequent work by Park et al. found that prostasomes fusion led to the transfer of calcium signaling tools, such as progesterone receptors and cyclic adenosine diphosphoribose (cADPR), from the prostasomes to the sperm neck enhancing calcium signaling and motility, while the cADPR agonist reduced sperm motility and fertilization rates, indicating that prostasomes enhance calcium signaling in sperm (Park et al. 2011). Additionally, utilizing biotin-labeled prostasomes from stallion, prostasomes were found to selectively bind to the sperm head only after initiation of capacitation, suggesting that sperm cells only fuse prostasomes during the final approach to the oocyte (Aalberts et al. 2013).
Membrane-associated gamma-glutamyl transferase and alkaline phosphatase in the context of concanavalin A- and wheat germ agglutinin-reactive glycans mark seminal prostasome populations from normozoospermic and oligozoospermic men
Published in Upsala Journal of Medical Sciences, 2020
Tamara Janković, Sanja Goč, Ninoslav Mitić, Jelena Danilović Luković, Miroslava Janković
Prostasomes, extracellular vesicles (EVs) originating from the prostate, exhibit distinct heterogeneity regarding molecular composition, size, and internal morphology. It is thought that at least one population of prostasomes corresponds to true exosomes, i.e. they originate from late endosome pathways (1–4). In this study we aimed to explore molecular properties of the prostasomal surface exemplified by its glycan composition leading to progress in separation and purification of various populations. To achieve this goal, a lectin-affinity chromatography (LAC) format was evaluated as a tool using seminal prostasomes from normozoospermic and oligozoospermic men. Nowadays, immunoaffinity-based approaches exploiting available antibodies to different markers/cell-specific proteins have been used for the identification/purification of EVs (5–8). In contrast to antibodies, lectins—as glycan-binding proteins—are not given the attention they deserve and consequently have rarely been used for specific purposes (9,10). Thus, by applying selected lectin-affinity matrices, we aimed at a more complete distinction of existing glycan patterns, generally present/shared on putative prostasomal populations mixed in seminal plasma.
In vitro decidualisation of human endometrial stromal cells is enhanced by seminal fluid extracellular vesicles
Published in Journal of Extracellular Vesicles, 2019
Helena Rodriguez-Caro, Rebecca Dragovic, Mengni Shen, Eszter Dombi, Ginny Mounce, Kate Field, Jamie Meadows, Karen Turner, Daniel Lunn, Tim Child, Jennifer Helen Southcombe, Ingrid Granne
In this study, ESCs have been directly exposed to SF-EVs in vitro. In vivo it is likely that SF-EVs from the seminal plasma can reach the uterus and cross the mucosal epithelium. It has been shown that immotile-labelled particles deposited in the vagina are taken up into the uterus and oviducts in humans, probably by peristaltic movements [52]. In addition, sperm bind prostasomes at a neutral or slightly alkaline pH [17] and could transport them through the vagina and cervix on fertile days of the cycle. Prostasomes fuse with sperm under acidic conditions [17]. Afterwards, the SF-EVs would have to cross the epithelial barrier. Although there is no direct evidence for this in the endometrial epithelium, exosomes have been shown to cross the human intestinal epithelium [53] and the blood–brain barrier [54]. In the latter study, exosomes were transported primarily by transcytosis and, both caveolae-dependent, and clathrin-dependent endocytosis were involved [54].