Large oncosomes contain distinct protein cargo and represent a separate functional class of tumor-derived extracellular vesicles.

ABSTRACT: Large oncosomes (LO) are atypically large (1-10 µm diameter) cancer-derived extracellular vesicles (EVs), originating from the shedding of membrane blebs and associated with advanced disease. We report that 25% of the proteins, identified by a quantitative proteomics analysis, are differentially represented in large and nano-sized EVs from prostate cancer cells. Proteins enriched in large EVs included enzymes involved in glucose, glutamine and amino acid metabolism, all metabolic processes relevant to cancer. Glutamine metabolism was altered in cancer cells exposed to large EVs, an effect that was not observed upon treatment with exosomes. Large EVs exhibited discrete buoyant densities in iodixanol (OptiPrep(TM)) gradients. Fluorescent microscopy of large EVs revealed an appearance consist

SUBMITTER: Minciacchi VR 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4484459 | biostudies-literature | 2015 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature