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Review
. 2015 Apr;16(4):327-337.
doi: 10.1111/tra.12258. Epub 2015 Mar 3.

Organizing polarized delivery of exosomes at synapses

Maria Mittelbrunn  1 , Miguel Vicente Manzanares #  2 , Francisco Sánchez-Madrid #  1   2
Affiliations
Review

Organizing polarized delivery of exosomes at synapses

Maria Mittelbrunn et al. Traffic. 2015 Apr.

Abstract

Exosomes are extracellular vesicles that transport different molecules between cells. They are formed and stored inside multivesicular bodies (MVB) until they are released to the extracellular environment. MVB fuse along the plasma membrane, driving non-polarized secretion of exosomes. However, polarized signaling potentially directs MVBs to a specific point in the plasma membrane to mediate a focal delivery of exosomes. MVB polarization occurs across a broad set of cellular situations, e.g. in immune and neuronal synapses, cell migration and in epithelial sheets. In this review, we summarize the current state of the art of polarized MVB docking and the specification of secretory sites at the plasma membrane. The current view is that MVB positioning and subsequent exosome delivery requires a polarizing, cytoskeletal dependent-trafficking mechanism. In this context, we propose scenarios in which biochemical and mechanical signals could drive the polarized delivery of exosomes in highly polarized cells, such as lymphocytes, neurons and epithelia.

Keywords: cell cytoskeleton; exosomes; multivesicular bodies; phospholipids; polarized secretion; synapses.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1. Polarized exosomal secretion in different cellular models
Immune synapse: The T cell positions its exosomes adjacent to the contact zone with the APC and drives polarized exosomal release. This is not incompatible with isotropic release of exosomes by T cell activation. Neuronal synapse: The presynaptic portal releases synaptic vesicles (in purple) towards the post-synaptic button. The post-synaptic button releases exosomes to the cleft that may affect the pre- and post-synaptic zones to amplify or quench synaptic release and have additional effects in synapse stability and function. Polarized migration: MVB are positioned at the rear and release exosomes that may contain chemotactic cues for other cells. Invadopodia: MVB are juxtaposed to invadopodia and release exosomes that may contribute to matrix degradation and communication with neighbor cells. Polarized epithelia may sort apical (light green) or basal (light blue) exosomes
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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