Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 5, 2026

Using Solution NMR to Characterize Biomolecular Condensates Under Biphasic Conditions
Published on: April 17, 2026
Condensates on the Move: Midbody Remnants as Large, Translation-Competent Extracellular Vesicles
1Laboratory of Genetics, UW-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, USA.
Abstract:
Recent work has expanded understanding of extracellular vesicle (EV) biology by identifying midbody remnants (MBRs) as large, translationally competent vesicles released during mitosis. MBRs contain ribosomes, mitochondria, translation factors, and selected mRNAs and small RNAs concentrated within a condensate‑like ribonucleoprotein core and can support protein synthesis after extracellular release. These features distinguish MBRs from more extensively studied exosomes and microvesicles yet also place them within a broader continuum of large EVs with organelle‑rich, cell‑like properties. This review summarizes current knowledge of MBR biogenesis, molecular organization, and translation competency; contrasts MBRs with canonical EVs and other large EVs; and discusses possible roles in development, tissue homeostasis, disease, and brain function. Particular emphasis is placed on outstanding mechanistic and physiological questions, including how MBR translation is regulated, which recipient cells interact with endogenous MBRs, and whether translation‑competent EVs offer practical advantages over existing EV platforms for therapeutic or biotechnological applications.
Related Concept Videos
Vesicular Tubular Clusters
With the help of motor proteins such...
Intralumenal Vesicles and Multivesicular Bodies
Overview of Secretory Vesicles
Various proteins regulate the aggregation of molecules inside the secretory vesicles. Chromogranins...
Exocytosis
Exocytosis
Exocytosis is the opposite of endocytosis, which brings molecules inside the cell. Sometimes, the released materials are signaling molecules. For example, neurons typically use exocytosis to release neurotransmitters. Cells also use exocytosis to insert proteins such as ion channels into their cell membranes, secrete proteins for use in the extracellular matrix, or...
Transport Across the Golgi

