Mitic Dijana, Jaksic Karisik Milica, Lazarevic Milos, Carkic Jelena, Zivkovic Emilia, Mitrovic Ajtic Olivera, Milasin Jelena
School of Dental Medicine, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Dr. Subotica 8, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia.
Institute for Medical Research, National Institute of Republic of Serbia, University of Belgrade, 11129 Belgrade, Serbia.
Curr Issues Mol Biol. 2025 Jul 19;47(7):568. doi: 10.3390/cimb47070568.
Exosomes, small extracellular vesicles secreted by various cell types, have gained significant attention in cancer investigations. Isolation and characterization of exosomes derived from DOK (dysplastic oral keratinocyte), SCC (squamous cell carcinoma) and HaCaT (normal skin keratinocyte) cell lines and microRNA profiling were conducted. Magnetic sorting was applied to obtain pure exosomes. Morphology and size were characterized by transmission electron microscopy and nanoparticle tracking analysis. Validation of membrane exosomal markers (CD9, CD63) was performed via Western blotting. MiR-21, miR-31, and miR-133 levels were analyzed in exosomes and parent cells by qPCR. Biological effects of the exosomes were tested by adding them to fibroblast cultures and determining the expression of relevant carcinogenesis markers by qPCR. Exosomes appeared as cup-shaped nano-sized particles, and there was no difference regarding particle diameter and concentration between the three types of exosomes. The oncogenic miR-21 was significantly upregulated both in SCC and SCC-derived exosomes compared to DOK and HaCaT cells and their respective exosomes. However, miR-31 unexpectedly showed the highest expression in normal cells and the lowest in HaCaT exosomes. MiR-133, the tumor suppressor miRNA, was downregulated in both SCC and DOK cells compared to normal (HaCaT) cells, while the opposite situation was observed in exosomes, with HaCaT cells showing the lowest levels of miR-133. The differences in exosome content were reflected in signaling pathway activation in exosome-treated fibroblasts, with SCC exosomes exerting the most potent effect on several cancer-related pathways, notably PIK3/AKT, PTEN, and NOTCH signaling cascades.
外泌体是由多种细胞类型分泌的小细胞外囊泡,在癌症研究中受到了广泛关注。本研究对源自发育异常口腔角质形成细胞(DOK)、鳞状细胞癌(SCC)和正常皮肤角质形成细胞(HaCaT)细胞系的外泌体进行了分离、表征及微小RNA谱分析。采用磁分选法获取纯外泌体。通过透射电子显微镜和纳米颗粒跟踪分析对外泌体的形态和大小进行表征。通过蛋白质免疫印迹法对外泌体膜标志物(CD9、CD63)进行验证。采用定量聚合酶链反应(qPCR)分析外泌体和母细胞中miR-21、miR-31和miR-133的水平。将外泌体添加到成纤维细胞培养物中,并通过qPCR测定相关致癌标志物的表达,以此测试外泌体的生物学效应。外泌体呈杯状纳米颗粒,三种外泌体在粒径和浓度方面无差异。与DOK和HaCaT细胞及其各自的外泌体相比,致癌性miR-21在SCC和SCC来源的外泌体中均显著上调。然而,miR-31意外地在正常细胞中表达最高,在HaCaT外泌体中表达最低。肿瘤抑制性微小RNA miR-133在SCC和DOK细胞中均低于正常(HaCaT)细胞,而在外泌体中则相反,HaCaT细胞中外泌体的miR-133水平最低。外泌体内容物的差异反映在外泌体处理的成纤维细胞的信号通路激活中,SCC外泌体对几种癌症相关通路,尤其是PIK3/AKT、PTEN和NOTCH信号级联发挥最显著的作用。