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Review
. 2016 May;100(9):3887-92.
doi: 10.1007/s00253-016-7484-x. Epub 2016 Mar 29.

Functions and importance of mycobacterial extracellular vesicles

G Marcela Rodriguez  1 , Rafael Prados-Rosales  2   3
Affiliations
Review

Functions and importance of mycobacterial extracellular vesicles

G Marcela Rodriguez et al. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol. 2016 May.

Abstract

The release of cellular factors by means of extracellular vesicles (EVs) is conserved in archaea, bacteria, and eukaryotes. EVs are released by growing bacteria as part of their interaction with their environment and, for pathogenic bacteria, constitute an important component of their interactions with the host. While EVs released by gram-negative bacteria have been extensively studied, the vesicles released by thick cell wall microorganisms like mycobacteria were recognized only recently and are less well understood. Nonetheless, studies of mycobacterial EVs have already suggested roles in pathogenesis, opening exciting new avenues of research aimed at understanding their biogenesis and potential use in antitubercular strategies. In this minireview, we discuss the discovery of mycobacterial vesicles, the current understanding of their nature, content, regulation, and possible functions, as well as their potential therapeutic applications.

Keywords: Iron; Lipoproteins; Mycobacterium; Siderophores; Vaccines; Vesicles.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflict of Interest: The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Figures

Fig 1
Fig 1. Microvesicles produced by Mycobacterium tuberculosis
Transmission electron micrograph showing vesicles budding from the surface of the bacteria (arrows) (A) and isolated membrane vesicles (Scale Bar: 50 nm) (B). Copyright © 2014, American Society for Microbiology. Journal of Bacteriology. 196(6). 1250–1256. doi:10.1128/JB.01090-13
Fig 2
Fig 2. Microvesicle production is regulated by iron
Scanning electron micrograph of Mtb cultured under iron limiting (A) and iron sufficient conditions (B). The number of spherical vesicles associated to the mycobacterial surface is higher in iron deficient cultures. Copyright © 2014, American Society for Microbiology. Journal of Bacteriology. 196(6). 1250–1256. doi:10.1128/JB.01090-13
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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