Table 1 The main mechanism of exosome entering the recipient cell
Mechanism | General mediators | Characteristics | |
|---|---|---|---|
Soluble and juxtacrine signalling | TNF, Fasl | Exosomes that bind to recipient cells elicit signal transduction through intracellular signaling pathways and are released | |
Fusion | Tetraspanins | Exosomes fuse with the plasma membrane of the cell | |
Endocytosis | Receptor-mediated endocytosis | Lipid rafts, clathrin, caveolin | This category of endocytosis is common and selective, focusing on specific cellular proteins that facilitate the uptake of particles |
Phagocytosis | Actin, complement receptors | Phagocytosis is typically performed by phagocytic cells, such as macrophages, which non-specifically engulf extracellular material, resulting in exosome uptake | |
Macropinocytosis | Actin, Na+, PI3K | Macropinocytosis is similar to phagocytosis but does not require direct contact with the internalized material | |