Fig. 1
From: Protein cargo in extracellular vesicles as the key mediator in the progression of cancer
Exosome biogenesis, release, structure, content, and uptake by recipient cells. A Exosomes originate from the invagination of the plasma membrane, forming an early endosome. The inward budding of the endosome creates ILVs within the MVB (late endosome), which can be either degraded in lysosome, or secreted into the extracellular space as exosomes via ESCRT-dependent, or ESCRT-independent pathway, in which case lipid domains are involved. B Exosomes are formed by the lipid bilayer with integrated bioactive molecules at its surface, such as cell adhesion molecules, tetraspanins, cytokine or MHC receptors, and integrins. The exosome content comprises cytosolic and cytoskeletal proteins, enzymes, ESCRT components, various types of nucleic acids, and lipids. C The exosome uptake can be provided non-specifically by endocytosis and simple fusion with the plasma membrane or specifically by the ligand-receptor interaction