Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 30, 2025

Single Extracellular Vesicle Transmembrane Protein Characterization by Nano-Flow Cytometry
Published on: July 26, 2022
Lack of involvement of CD63 and CD9 tetraspanins in the extracellular vesicle content delivery process
Maria Laura Tognoli1, Julia Dancourt2, Emeline Bonsergent2
1CDL Research, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
Abstract:
Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are thought to mediate intercellular communication by transferring cargoes from donor to acceptor cells. The EV content-delivery process within acceptor cells is still poorly characterized and debated. CD63 and CD9, members of the tetraspanin family, are highly enriched within EV membranes and are respectively enriched within multivesicular bodies/endosomes and at the plasma membrane of the cells. CD63 and CD9 have been suspected to regulate the EV uptake and delivery process. Here we used two independent assays and different cell models (HeLa, MDA-MB-231 and HEK293T cells) to assess the putative role of CD63 and CD9 in the EV delivery process that includes uptake and cargo delivery. Our results suggest that neither CD63, nor CD9 are required for this function.
Related Concept Videos
Intralumenal Vesicles and Multivesicular Bodies
Vesicular Tubular Clusters
With the help of motor proteins such...
Clathrin Coated Vesicles
Overview of Secretory Vesicles
Various proteins regulate the aggregation of molecules inside the secretory vesicles. Chromogranins...
Overview of Exosomes
Stahl et al. discovered exosomes in 1983, but the exosomes were initially considered waste products released from the...
Fusion of Secretory Vesicles with the Plasma Membrane
In 1993, Jim Rothman proposed that the antiparallel pairing of vesicular and transmembrane SNAREs, or...

