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Comparative transcriptomic analysis of human and Drosophila extracellular vesicles
Fabio Alexis Lefebvre1,2, Louis Philip Benoit Bouvrette1,2, Lilyanne Perras1,2
1Institut de Recherches Cliniques de Montréal (IRCM), Montréal, QC H2W 1R7, Canada.
Scientific Reports
|June 11, 2016
Summary
Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are nanoparticles that transfer genetic material between cells. This study reveals similar EVs in fruit flies and humans, suggesting RNA-mediated communication is conserved across species.
Area of Science:
- Cell Biology
- Genetics
- Evolutionary Biology
Background:
- Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are crucial for intercellular communication in mammals, mediating the transfer of RNA molecules like miRNA and mRNA.
- The role and prevalence of EVs in intercellular communication in other metazoans, such as invertebrates, remain largely unexplored.
Purpose of the Study:
- To conduct a parallel comparative morphologic and transcriptomic analysis of EVs from Drosophila and human cellular models.
- To investigate the similarities and differences in EV composition and potential functions between these two distinct species.
Main Methods:
- Comparative analysis using electron microscopy to characterize EV morphology and size distribution.
- RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) to identify and quantify the transcript content of EVs from both human and Drosophila cells.
Main Results:
- Electron microscopy confirmed that human and Drosophila cells release EVs of similar sizes (30-200 nm).
- RNA-seq revealed complex transcript populations in both human and Drosophila EVs, including ribosomal RNAs, pseudogenes, and retrotransposons.
- While human EVs were rich in Vault RNAs and Y RNAs, Drosophila EVs showed a higher prevalence of small nucleolar RNAs involved in pseudouridylation. Both contained numerous mRNAs enriched for translation and electron transport chain functions.
Conclusions:
- Significant morphological and transcriptomic similarities between human and Drosophila EVs suggest a conserved mechanism for EV-mediated intercellular communication.
- These findings indicate that extracellular vesicles may facilitate RNA-mediated intercellular communication in Drosophila, similar to their established role in mammals.
- This study provides the first evidence for conserved EV-mediated RNA transfer mechanisms in a non-mammalian metazoan model.
