Nanoparticle analysis sheds budding insights into genetic drivers of extracellular vesicle biogenesis

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are important mediators of cell-to-cell communication in healthy and pathological environments. Because EVs are present in a variety of biological fluids and contain molecular signatures of their cell or tissue of origin, they have great diagnostic and prognostic value. The ability of EVs to deliver biologically active proteins, RNAs and lipids to cells has generated interest in developing novel therapeutics. Despite their potential medical use, many of the mechanisms underlying EV biogenesis and secretion remain unknown.

Here, we characterized vesicle secretion across the NCI-60 panel of human cancer cells by nanoparticle tracking analysis. Using CellMiner, the quantity of EVs secreted by each cell line was compared to reference transcriptomics data to identify gene products associated with vesicle secretion.

Gene products positively associated with the quantity of exosomal-sized vesicles included vesicular trafficking classes of proteins with Rab GTPase function and sphingolipid metabolism. Positive correlates of larger microvesicle-sized vesicle secretion included gene products involved in cytoskeletal dynamics and exocytosis, as well as Rab GTPase activation. One of the identified targets, CD63, was further evaluated for its role in vesicle secretion. Clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeat (CRISPR)/Cas9 knockout of the CD63 gene in HEK293 cells resulted in a decrease in small vesicle secretion, suggesting the importance of CD63 in exosome biogenesis.

These observations reveal new insights into genes involved in exosome and microvesicle formation, and may provide a means to distinguish EV sub-populations. This study offers a foundation for further exploration of targets involved in EV biogenesis and secretion.