Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 16, 2026

Nanopodia - Thin, Fragile Membrane Projections with Roles in Cell Movement and Intercellular Interactions
Published on: April 3, 2014
Cell surface tetraspanin Tspan8 contributes to molecular pathways of exosome-induced endothelial cell activation
Irina Nazarenko1, Sanyukta Rana, Alexandra Baumann
1Department of Tumor Cell Biology, University Hospital of Surgery, D-69120 Heidelberg, Germany.
Abstract:
Tumor-derived exosomes containing the tetraspanin Tspan8 can efficiently induce angiogenesis in tumors and tumor-free tissues. However, little information exists on exosome-endothelial cell (EC) interactions or the proangiogenic role of tetraspanins, which are a constitutive component of exosomes. In this study, we used a rat adenocarcinoma model (AS-Tspan8) to explore the effects of exosomal Tspan8 on angiogenesis. Tspan8 contributed to a selective recruitment of proteins and mRNA into exosomes, including CD106 and CD49d, which were implicated in exosome-EC binding and EC internalization. We found that EC internalized Tspan8-CD49d complex-containing exosomes. Exosome uptake induced vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)-independent regulation of several angiogenesis-related genes, including von Willebrand factor, Tspan8, chemokines CXCL5 and MIF, chemokine receptor CCR1, and, together with VEGF, VEGF receptor 2. EC uptake of Tspan8-CD49d complex-containing exosomes was accompanied by enhanced EC proliferation, migration, sprouting, and maturation of EC progenitors. Unraveling these new pathways of exosome-initiated EC regulation could provide new options for therapeutic interference with tumor-induced angiogenesis.
Related Concept Videos
Intracellular Signaling Affects Focal Adhesions
Some...
Overview of Exosomes
Stahl et al. discovered exosomes in 1983, but the exosomes were initially considered waste products released from the...
The Extrinsic Apoptotic Pathway
Selectins
Cell-surface Signaling
Regulation of Angiogenesis and Blood Supply

