Metabolic labelling of a subpopulation of small extracellular vesicles using a fluorescent palmitic acid analogue.

Exosomes are among the most puzzling vehicles of intercellular communication, but several crucial aspects of their biogenesis remain elusive, primarily due to the difficulty in purifying vesicles with similar sizes and densities. Here we report an effective methodology for labelling small extracellular vesicles (sEV) using Bodipy FL C16, a fluorescent palmitic acid analogue. In this study, we present compelling evidence that the fluorescent sEV population derived from Bodipy C16-labelled cells represents a discrete subpopulation of small exosomes following an intracellular pathway.

Exploiting Manipulated Small Extracellular Vesicles to Subvert Immunosuppression at the Tumor Microenvironment through Mannose Receptor/CD206 Targeting.

Immunosuppression at tumor microenvironment (TME) is one of the major obstacles to be overcome for an effective therapeutic intervention against solid tumors. Tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) comprise a sub-population that plays multiple pro-tumoral roles in tumor development including general immunosuppression, which can be identified in terms of high expression of mannose receptor (MR or CD206). Immunosuppressive TAMs, like other macrophage sub-populations, display functional plasticity that allows them to be re-programmed to inflammatory macrophages.

Cell Propagation of Cholera Toxin CTA ADP-Ribosylating Factor by Exosome Mediated Transfer.

In this study, we report how the cholera toxin (CT) A subunit (CTA), the enzyme moiety responsible for signaling alteration in host cells, enters the exosomal pathway, secretes extracellularly, transmits itself to a cell population. The first evidence for long-term transmission of CT's toxic effect via extracellular vesicles was obtained in Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells. To follow the CT intracellular route towards exosome secretion, we used a novel strategy for generating metabolically-labeled fluorescent exosomes that can be counted by flow cytometry assay (FACS) and characterized.

Generation, Quantification, and Tracing of Metabolically Labeled Fluorescent Exosomes.

Over the last 10 years, the constant progression in exosome (Exo)-related studies highlighted the importance of these cell-derived nano-sized vesicles in cell biology and pathophysiology. Functional studies on Exo uptake and intracellular trafficking require accurate quantification to assess sufficient and/or necessary Exo particles quantum able to elicit measurable effects on target cells. We used commercially available BODIPY(®) fatty acid analogues to label a primary melanoma cell line (Me501) that highly and spontaneously secrete nanovesicles.