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Cells, Tissues, Organs 2023Over the past 50 years, several different types of extracellular vesicles have been discovered including exosomes, microvesicles, and matrix vesicles. These vesicles are... (Review)
Review
Over the past 50 years, several different types of extracellular vesicles have been discovered including exosomes, microvesicles, and matrix vesicles. These vesicles are secreted by cells for specific purposes and contain cargo such as microRNA, cytokines, and lipids. A novel extracellular vesicle, the matrix-bound nanovesicle (MBV), has been recently discovered. The MBV is similar to the microvesicle, however, it is attached to the extracellular matrix, instead of being secreted. This review compares MBVs to other types of extracellular vesicles to try and better understand their origin and function. Further, this review will explain various extracellular vesicle isolation methods and how these can be used for MBVs and summarize characterization of MBV cargo such as microRNA, proteins, and lipids. Lastly, we will summarize the effects of MBVs on cells. MBVs are a novel class of extracellular vesicles that hold great promise as a platform for delivery of targeted gene and drug therapeutics.
Topics: Exosomes; Extracellular Vesicles; MicroRNAs; Proteins; Lipids
PubMed: 35168230
DOI: 10.1159/000522575 -
F1000Research 2017Synaptic vesicle recycling is essential for sustained and reliable neurotransmission. A key component of synaptic vesicle recycling is the synaptic vesicle biogenesis... (Review)
Review
Synaptic vesicle recycling is essential for sustained and reliable neurotransmission. A key component of synaptic vesicle recycling is the synaptic vesicle biogenesis process that is observed in synapses and that maintains the molecular identity of synaptic vesicles. However, the mechanisms by which synaptic vesicles are retrieved and reconstituted after fusion remain unclear. The complex molecular composition of synaptic vesicles renders their rapid biogenesis a daunting task. Therefore, in this context, kiss-and-run type transient fusion of synaptic vesicles with the plasma membrane without loss of their membrane composition and molecular identity remains a viable hypothesis that can account for the fidelity of the synaptic vesicle cycle. In this article, we discuss the biological implications of this problem as well as its possible molecular solutions.
PubMed: 29034086
DOI: 10.12688/f1000research.12072.1 -
Angewandte Chemie (International Ed. in... Dec 2019Targeted vesicle fusion is a promising approach to selectively control interactions between vesicle compartments and would enable the initiation of biological reactions... (Review)
Review
Targeted vesicle fusion is a promising approach to selectively control interactions between vesicle compartments and would enable the initiation of biological reactions in complex aqueous environments. Here, we explore how two features of vesicle membranes, DNA tethers and phase-segregated membranes, promote fusion between specific vesicle populations. Membrane phase-segregation provides an energetic driver for membrane fusion that increases the efficiency of DNA-mediated fusion events. The orthogonality provided by DNA tethers allows us to direct fusion and delivery of DNA cargo to specific vesicle populations. Vesicle fusion between DNA-tethered vesicles can be used to initiate in vitro protein expression to produce model soluble and membrane proteins. Engineering orthogonal fusion events between DNA-tethered vesicles provides a new strategy to control the spatiotemporal dynamics of cell-free reactions, expanding opportunities to engineer artificial cellular systems.
Topics: DNA; Humans
PubMed: 31596992
DOI: 10.1002/anie.201911544 -
FEBS Letters Nov 2018In presynaptic nerve terminals, synaptic vesicles are recycled locally via an evolutionarily conserved process that ensures maintenance of neurotransmission as well as... (Review)
Review
In presynaptic nerve terminals, synaptic vesicles are recycled locally via an evolutionarily conserved process that ensures maintenance of neurotransmission as well as structural integrity of synapses. Temperature is a key environmental factor that impacts critical steps involved in fusion, endocytosis and transport in different vesicle trafficking pathways. In neurons, temperature changes have been shown to impact synaptic vesicle recycling and synaptic efficacy. But contrary to non-neuronal systems, the temperature dependence of the steps involved in fusion, endocytosis and recycling of synaptic vesicles in presynaptic terminals is not completely understood, and the existing data remain highly debated. In this Review, we discuss the implications of biophysical, biochemical and functional findings on temperature dependence of membrane retrieval in multiple systems. We propose that systematic investigation of the temperature dependence of the presynaptic vesicle trafficking process can provide novel insight into poorly understood mechanisms that govern synaptic vesicle trafficking under diverse physiological conditions.
Topics: Animals; Endocytosis; Humans; Neurons; Presynaptic Terminals; Synapses; Synaptic Transmission; Synaptic Vesicles; Temperature; Time Factors
PubMed: 30311950
DOI: 10.1002/1873-3468.13268 -
Seminars in Cell & Developmental Biology Feb 2011Vesicle trafficking is a highly regulated process that transports proteins and other cargoes through eukaryotic cells while maintaining cellular organization and... (Review)
Review
Vesicle trafficking is a highly regulated process that transports proteins and other cargoes through eukaryotic cells while maintaining cellular organization and compartmental identity. In order for cargo to reach the correct destination, each step of trafficking must impart specificity. During vesicle formation, this is achieved by coat proteins, which selectively incorporate cargo into the nascent vesicle. Classically, vesicle coats are thought to dissociate shortly after budding. However, recent studies suggest that coat proteins can remain on the vesicle en route to their destination, imparting targeting specificity by physically and functionally interacting with Rab-regulated tethering systems. This review focuses on how interactions among Rab GTPases, tethering factors, SNARE proteins, and vesicle coats contribute to vesicle targeting, fusion, and coat dynamics.
Topics: Animals; Biological Transport; Coated Vesicles; Humans; Protein Binding; Protein Subunits; rab GTP-Binding Proteins
PubMed: 20643221
DOI: 10.1016/j.semcdb.2010.07.003 -
Frontiers in Endocrinology 2017MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are short non-coding RNAs that posttranscriptionally regulate gene expression inside the cell. Extracellular circulating miRNAs are also observed... (Review)
Review
MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are short non-coding RNAs that posttranscriptionally regulate gene expression inside the cell. Extracellular circulating miRNAs are also observed outside the cell, but their origin is poorly understood. Recently, miRNA has been shown to be exocytosed by vesicle fusion; this observation demonstrates that vesicle-free miRNAs are secreted from neuroendocrine cells, in a manner similar to hormone secretion. miRNAs are stored in large dense-core vesicles together with catecholamines, then released by vesicle fusion in response to stimulation; in this way, vesicle-free miRNA may regulate cell-to-cell communication including the regulation of gene expression and cellular signaling. Therefore, miRNA has been suggested to function as a hormone; i.e., a ribomone (ribonucleotide + hormone). This review focuses on the mechanisms by which vesicle-free miRNAs are secreted from neuroendocrine cells and will discuss potential functions of vesicle-free miRNAs and how vesicle-free miRNAs regulate cell-to-cell communication.
PubMed: 29312145
DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2017.00355 -
Molecules and Cells Nov 2015Synapsins were the first presynaptic proteins identified and have served as the flagship of the presynaptic protein field. Here we review recent studies demonstrating... (Review)
Review
Synapsins were the first presynaptic proteins identified and have served as the flagship of the presynaptic protein field. Here we review recent studies demonstrating that different members of the synapsin family play different roles at presynaptic terminals employing different types of synaptic vesicles. The structural underpinnings for these functions are just beginning to be understood and should provide a focus for future efforts.
Topics: Humans; Neurotransmitter Agents; Phosphorylation; Presynaptic Terminals; Protein Isoforms; Protein Transport; Synapsins; Synaptic Vesicles
PubMed: 26627875
DOI: 10.14348/molcells.2015.0233 -
Microbiological Reviews Mar 1994The gas vesicle is a hollow structure made of protein. It usually has the form of a cylindrical tube closed by conical end caps. Gas vesicles occur in five phyla of the... (Review)
Review
The gas vesicle is a hollow structure made of protein. It usually has the form of a cylindrical tube closed by conical end caps. Gas vesicles occur in five phyla of the Bacteria and two groups of the Archaea, but they are mostly restricted to planktonic microorganisms, in which they provide buoyancy. By regulating their relative gas vesicle content aquatic microbes are able to perform vertical migrations. In slowly growing organisms such movements are made more efficiently than by swimming with flagella. The gas vesicle is impermeable to liquid water, but it is highly permeable to gases and is normally filled with air. It is a rigid structure of low compressibility, but it collapses flat under a certain critical pressure and buoyancy is then lost. Gas vesicles in different organisms vary in width, from 45 to > 200 nm; in accordance with engineering principles the narrower ones are stronger (have higher critical pressures) than wide ones, but they contain less gas space per wall volume and are therefore less efficient at providing buoyancy. A survey of gas-vacuolate cyanobacteria reveals that there has been natural selection for gas vesicles of the maximum width permitted by the pressure encountered in the natural environment, which is mainly determined by cell turgor pressure and water depth. Gas vesicle width is genetically determined, perhaps through the amino acid sequence of one of the constituent proteins. Up to 14 genes have been implicated in gas vesicle production, but so far the products of only two have been shown to be present in the gas vesicle: GvpA makes the ribs that form the structure, and GvpC binds to the outside of the ribs and stiffens the structure against collapse. The evolution of the gas vesicle is discussed in relation to the homologies of these proteins.
Topics: Amino Acid Sequence; Bacteria; Bacterial Physiological Phenomena; Bacterial Proteins; Cyanobacteria; Gases; Genes, Bacterial; Halobacterium; Models, Biological; Molecular Sequence Data; Vacuoles
PubMed: 8177173
DOI: 10.1128/mr.58.1.94-144.1994 -
Journal of Nanobiotechnology Jan 2024With the immense progress in drug delivery systems (DDS) and the rise of nanotechnology, challenges such as target specificity remain. The vesicle-vector system (VVS) is... (Review)
Review
With the immense progress in drug delivery systems (DDS) and the rise of nanotechnology, challenges such as target specificity remain. The vesicle-vector system (VVS) is a delivery system that uses lipid-based vesicles as vectors for a targeted drug delivery. When modified with target-probing materials, these vesicles become powerful vectors for drug delivery with high target specificity. In this review, we discuss three general types of VVS based on different modification strategies: (1) vesicle-probes; (2) vesicle-vesicles; and (3) genetically engineered vesicles. The synthesis of each VVS type and their corresponding properties that are advantageous for targeted drug delivery, are also highlighted. The applications, challenges, and limitations of VVS are briefly examined. Finally, we share a number of insights and perspectives regarding the future of VVS as a targeted drug delivery system at the nanoscale.
Topics: Extracellular Vesicles; Drug Delivery Systems; Nanotechnology
PubMed: 38167116
DOI: 10.1186/s12951-023-02275-6 -
Extreme Mechanics Letters Feb 2021The physico-mechanical properties of nanoscale lipid vesicles (e.g., natural nano-vesicles and artificial nano-liposomes) dictate their interaction with biological...
The physico-mechanical properties of nanoscale lipid vesicles (e.g., natural nano-vesicles and artificial nano-liposomes) dictate their interaction with biological systems. Understanding the interplay between vesicle size and stiffness is critical to both the understanding of the biological functions of natural nano-vesicles and the optimization of nano-vesicle-based diagnostics and therapeutics. It has been predicted that, when vesicle size is comparable to its membrane thickness, the effective bending stiffness of the vesicle increases dramatically due to both the entropic effect as a result of reduced thermal undulation and the nonlinear curvature elasticity effect. Through systematic molecular dynamics simulations, we show that the vesicle membrane thins and softens with the decrease in vesicle size, which effectively counteracts the stiffening effects as already mentioned. Our simulations indicate that the softening of nano-vesicles results from a change in the bilayer's interior structure - a decrease in lipid packing order - as the membrane curvature increases. Our work thus leads to a more complete physical framework to understand the physico-mechanical properties of nanoscale lipid vesicles, paving the way to further advances in the biophysics of nano-vesicles and their biomedical applications.
PubMed: 33542946
DOI: 10.1016/j.eml.2021.101174