Department of Biochemistry and Genetics, La Trobe Institute for Molecular Science, La Trobe University, Bundoora, Victoria, Australia.
Proteomics. 2021 Jul;21(13-14):e2000118. doi: 10.1002/pmic.202000118. Epub 2021 May 3.
Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are a heterogeneous population of membrane-enclosed nanoparticles released by cells. They play a role in intercellular communication and are involved in numerous physiological and pathological processes. Cells release subpopulations of EVs with distinct composition and inherent biological function which overlap in size. Current size-based isolation methods are, therefore, not optimal to discriminate between functional EV subpopulations. In addition, EVs overlap in size with several other biological nanoparticles, such as lipoproteins and viruses. Proteomic analysis has allowed for more detailed study of EV composition, and EV isolation approaches based on this could provide a promising alternative for purification based on size. Elucidating EV heterogeneity and the characteristics and role of EV subpopulations will advance our understanding of EV biology and the role of EVs in health and disease. Here, we discuss current knowledge of EV composition, EV heterogeneity and advances in affinity based EV isolation tools.
细胞外囊泡 (EVs) 是一种由细胞释放的具有异质性的膜封闭纳米颗粒。它们在细胞间通讯中发挥作用，并参与许多生理和病理过程。细胞释放具有不同组成和固有生物学功能的 EV 亚群，这些亚群在大小上重叠。因此，目前基于大小的分离方法并不理想，无法区分功能 EV 亚群。此外，EV 与其他几种生物纳米颗粒（如脂蛋白和病毒）在大小上重叠。蛋白质组学分析允许更详细地研究 EV 的组成，基于这种方法的 EV 分离方法可能为基于大小的纯化提供有前途的替代方法。阐明 EV 的异质性以及 EV 亚群的特征和作用将有助于我们了解 EV 生物学以及 EV 在健康和疾病中的作用。在这里，我们讨论了当前关于 EV 组成、EV 异质性和基于亲和性的 EV 分离工具的进展的知识。
