Related Experiment Video
Updated: Apr 17, 2026
06:39
Author Spotlight: Accelerating Research on Bacterial Extracellular Vesicles Separation and Heterogeneity
Published on: September 1, 2023
4.5K
Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacterial extracellular vesicles
Ji Hyun Kim1, Jaewook Lee1, Jaesung Park2
1Department of Life Sciences, Pohang University of Science and Technology, Pohang 790-784, Republic of Korea.
Seminars in Cell & Developmental Biology
|February 24, 2015
Summary
Bacteria release extracellular vesicles containing proteins and nucleic acids. These bacterial vesicles play key roles in bacteria-bacteria and bacteria-host interactions, offering potential for new diagnostic tools and vaccines.
Area of Science:
- Microbiology
- Cell Biology
- Biochemistry
Background:
- Bacteria, similar to mammalian cells, release nano-sized extracellular vesicles (EVs).
- These bacterial EVs are bilayered proteolipids containing proteins, lipids, and nucleic acids.
- Bacterial EVs are implicated in intercellular communication and host-pathogen interactions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review current knowledge on Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacterial EVs.
- To highlight the biogenesis, composition, and functions of bacterial EVs.
- To underscore the potential of bacterial EVs in diagnostics and therapeutics.
Main Methods:
- Literature review of recent research on bacterial extracellular vesicles.
- Synthesis of information on EV biogenesis and molecular cargo.
- Analysis of the role of EVs in bacterial communities and host interactions.
Main Results:
- Bacterial EVs are released constitutively or regulatedly.
- EVs are enriched with bioactive molecules, including virulence factors.
- EVs mediate critical interactions between bacteria and with host cells.
Conclusions:
- Bacterial EVs are significant mediators of microbial pathogenesis and community dynamics.
- Further research into bacterial EVs can drive the development of novel diagnostic and vaccine strategies.
- Understanding bacterial EV biology is crucial for combating Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacterial infections.
Related Concept Videos
01:17Gram-negative Bacterial Protein Secretion Systems
1.6K
Gram-negative bacteria utilize sophisticated protein secretion systems to transport proteins across their double-membrane envelope into the extracellular environment or host cells. Based on their mechanism of action, these systems are classified into one-step and two-step pathways.One-Step Secretion Systems (Types I, III, IV, and VI)One-step secretion systems bypass the periplasm entirely, forming a continuous channel that spans both the inner and outer membranes:Type I Secretion System (T1SS):...
1.6K
00:59COP Coated Vesicles
18.8K
Membrane-enclosed structures called vesicles transport proteins and lipids across the cell. The vesicles derive their cargo from the plasma membrane, Golgi, ER, or endosome. Coated vesicles are spherical, protein-coated carriers with a 50–100 nm diameter that mediate bidirectional transport between the ER and the Golgi. The distribution of proteins between the ER and Golgi complex is dynamic and is maintained by different coated vesicles. Their formation is driven by the assembly of...
18.8K
01:33Overview of Secretory Vesicles
11.1K
Secretory vesicles, also known as dense core vesicles (DCVs), are membrane-bound vesicles that transport secretory proteins, such as hormones or neurotransmitters. Regulated secretory vesicles transport proteins from the trans-Golgi network to the exterior of the cell. Proteins present in regulated secretory vesicles are required to be rapidly exocytosed in large amounts upon a specific stimulus.
Various proteins regulate the aggregation of molecules inside the secretory vesicles. Chromogranins...
Various proteins regulate the aggregation of molecules inside the secretory vesicles. Chromogranins...
11.1K
01:36Overview of Exosomes
4.0K
Exosomes are stable, lipid bilayer-enclosed vesicles capable of crossing biological barriers. They can carry a wide range of molecules required for intercellular communication. Once exosomes are released from the cell where they originated, they enter a recipient cell through various pathways such as fusion, receptor-mediated endocytosis, macropinocytosis, and phagocytosis.
Stahl et al. discovered exosomes in 1983, but the exosomes were initially considered waste products released from the...
Stahl et al. discovered exosomes in 1983, but the exosomes were initially considered waste products released from the...
4.0K
01:45Vesicular Tubular Clusters
3.4K
After budding out from the ER membrane, some COPII vesicles lose their coat and fuse with one another to form larger vesicles and interconnected tubules called vesicular tubular clusters or VTCs. These clusters constitute a compartment at the ER-Golgi interface known as ERGIC (Endoplasmic Reticulum Golgi Intermediate Compartment). The ERGIC is a mobile membrane-bound cargo transport system that sorts proteins secreted from ER and delivers them to the Golgi.
With the help of motor proteins such...
With the help of motor proteins such...
3.4K
01:38Intralumenal Vesicles and Multivesicular Bodies
5.3K
Intraluminal vesicles (ILVs) are small vesicles 50-80 nm in diameter formed during the maturation of early endosomes. A specialized endosome containing numerous ILVs is called a multivesicular body (MVB). ILVs contain internalized molecules such as antigens, nucleic acids, proteins, and metabolites. Some of these molecules are released from the MVBs inside exosomes and are transported to other cells. Other MVBs contain molecules that are retained in the ILVs and are later degraded within the...
5.3K