Exosomes are small extracellular vesicles of around 100nm of diameter produced by most cell types. These vesicles carry nucleic acids, proteins, lipids and other biomolecules and function as carriers of biological information in processes of extracellular communication. The content of exosomes is regulated by the external and internal microenvironment of the parent cell, but the intrinsic mechanisms of loading of molecules into exosomes is still not completely elucidated. In this study, by the use of next generation sequencing we have characterized in depth the RNA composition of healthy endothelial cells and exosomes and provided an accurate profile of the different coding and non-coding RNA species found per compartment. We have also discovered a set of unique genes preferentially included (or excluded) into vesicles. Moreover, after studying the enrichment of RNA motifs in the genes unequally distributed between cells and exosomes, we have detected a set of enriched sequences for several classes of RNA. In conclusion, our results provide the basis to study the involvement of RNA-binding proteins capable to recognize RNA sequences and their role in the export of RNAs into exosomes. SOURCE: Ingrid Struman (i.struman@ulg.ac.be) -  GIGA-R

Pluto Bioinformatics

GSE103831: Exploring the RNA landscape of endothelial exosomes