title: Tumour microvesicles contain retrotransposon elements and amplified oncogene sequences.
abstract: Tumour cells release an abundance of microvesicles containing a selected set of proteins and RNAs. Here, we show that tumour microvesicles also carry DNA, which reflects the genetic status of the tumour, including amplification of the oncogene c-Myc. We also find amplified c-Myc in serum microvesicles from tumour-bearing mice. Further, we find remarkably high levels of retrotransposon RNA transcripts, especially for some human endogenous retroviruses, such as LINE-1 and Alu retrotransposon elements, in tumour microvesicles and these transposable elements could be transferred to normal cells. These findings expand the nucleic acid content of tumour microvesicles to include: elevated levels of specific coding and non-coding RNA and DNA, mutated and amplified oncogene sequences and transposable elements. Thus, tumour microvesicles contain a repertoire of genetic information available for horizontal gene transfer and potential use as blood biomarkers for cancer.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02129, USA.
authors.forename: Leonora
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Balaj
authors.forename: Ryan
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Lessard
authors.forename: Lixin
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Dai
authors.forename: Yoon-Jae
authors.initials: YJ
authors.lastname: Cho
authors.forename: Scott L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Pomeroy
authors.forename: Xandra O
authors.initials: XO
authors.lastname: Breakefield
authors.forename: Johan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Skog
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D018076:DNA, Complementary / Q000235:genetics; D004587:Electrophoresis, Agar Gel; D042783:Endothelial Cells / Q000378:metabolism; D018628:Gene Dosage; D006801:Humans; D051379:Mice; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism*; D020641:Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide / Q000235:genetics; D016271:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-myc / Q000378:metabolism*; D012322:RNA Precursors / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D018626:Retroelements / Q000235:genetics*; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D022142:Secretory Vesicles / Q000378:metabolism*; D014471:Umbilical Veins / Q000166:cytology
chemical_list: D018076:DNA, Complementary; D016271:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-myc; D012322:RNA Precursors; D018626:Retroelements