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Exosomes versus microexosomes: Shared components but distinct functions

  • JPR Symposium
  • Fusion in Fertilization: Interdisciplinary Collaboration among Plant and Animal Scientists
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Abstract

In multicellular organisms, cellular components are constantly translocated within cells and are also transported exclusively between limited cells, regardless of their physical distance. Exosomes function as one of the key mediators of intercellular transportation. External vesicles were identified 50 years ago in plants and now reconsidered to be exosome-like vesicles. Meanwhile, a well-known exosomal component, tetraspanin CD9, regulates sperm–egg fusion in mammals. A number of Arabidopsis tetraspanins are also expressed in reproductive tissues at fertilization, and are localized at the plasma membrane of protoplasts. Moreover, CD9-containing structures (or ‘microexosomes’) are released from mouse eggs during their maturation and promote the sperm–egg fusion. This phenomenon implies that two types of shared-component intercellular carriers might be released from multiple types of plant and animal cells, which widely regulate biological phenomena. We herein highlight their discrete structures, formation processes, and functions.

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Acknowledgements

This review was supported by a Grant-in-aid for Scientific Research from The Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science, and Technology of Japan (No. 26670733 and No. 26293363 to K. Miyado, and No. 26670732 to N. Kawano).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Reproductive Biology, National Research Institute for Child Health and Development, 2-10-1 Okura, Setagaya, Tokyo, 157-8535, Japan

    Kenji Miyado, Woojin Kang, Akihiro Nakamura & Natsuko Kawano

  2. Department of Perinatal Medicine and Maternal Care, National Center for Child Health and Development, 2-10-1 Okura, Setagaya, Tokyo, 157-8535, Japan

    Woojin Kang

  3. Department of Applied Biological Science, Tokyo University of Science, 2641 Yamazaki, Noda, Chiba, 278-8510, Japan

    Kenji Yamatoya

  4. Department of Life Sciences, School of Agriculture, Meiji University, Kawasaki, Kanagawa, 214-8571, Japan

    Maito Hanai, Akihiro Nakamura & Natsuko Kawano

  5. Department of Tropical Medicine and Parasitology, Juntendo University, 2-1-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-8421, Japan

    Toshiyuki Mori

  6. Department of Molecular Endocrinology, National Research Institute for Child Health and Development, 2-10-1 Okura, Setagaya, Tokyo, 157-8535, Japan

    Mami Miyado

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  1. Kenji Miyado
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  2. Woojin Kang
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  3. Kenji Yamatoya
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  7. Mami Miyado
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  8. Natsuko Kawano
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Correspondence to Kenji Miyado or Natsuko Kawano.

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Miyado, K., Kang, W., Yamatoya, K. et al. Exosomes versus microexosomes: Shared components but distinct functions. J Plant Res 130, 479–483 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10265-017-0907-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10265-017-0907-7

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