title: Mass spectrometry of extracellular vesicles.
abstract: The review briefly summaries main features of extracellular vesicles, a joint terminology for exosomes, microvesicles, and apoptotic vesicles. These vesicles are in the center of interest in biology and medical sciences, and form a very active field of research. Mass spectrometry (MS), with its specificity and sensitivity, has the potential to identify and characterize molecular composition of these vesicles; but as yet there are only a limited, but fast-growing, number of publications that use MS workflows in this field. MS is the major tool to assess protein composition of extracellular vesicles: qualitative and quantitative proteomics approaches are both reviewed. Beside proteins, lipid and metabolite composition of vesicles might also be best assessed by MS techniques; however there are few applications as yet in this respect. The role of alternative analytical approaches, like gel-based proteomics and antibody-based immunoassays, are also mentioned. The objective of the review is to give an overview of this fast-growing field to help orient MS-based research on extracellular vesicles.
authors.affiliation: Mass Spectrometry and Proteomics, Institute of Biosciences and BioResources, National Research Council of Italy, Naples, Italy.
authors.forename: Gabriella
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Pocsfalvi
authors.affiliation: Mass Spectrometry and Proteomics, Institute of Biosciences and BioResources, National Research Council of Italy, Naples, Italy.
authors.forename: Christopher
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Stanly
authors.affiliation: Mass Spectrometry and Proteomics, Institute of Biosciences and BioResources, National Research Council of Italy, Naples, Italy.
authors.forename: Annalisa
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Vilasi
authors.affiliation: Mass Spectrometry and Proteomics, Institute of Biosciences and BioResources, National Research Council of Italy, Naples, Italy.
authors.forename: Immacolata
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Fiume
authors.affiliation: Division of Nephrology, Department of Cardio-Vascular Sciences, Second University of Naples, Naples, Italy.
authors.forename: Giovambattista
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Capasso
authors.affiliation: Mass Spectrometry Proteomics Group, Institute of Organic Chemistry, Research Centre for Natural Sciences of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Budapest, Hungary.
authors.forename: Lilla
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Turiák
authors.affiliation: Department of Genetics, Cell- and Immunobiology, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary.
authors.forename: Edit I
authors.initials: EI
authors.lastname: Buzas
authors.affiliation: Mass Spectrometry Proteomics Group, Institute of Organic Chemistry, Research Centre for Natural Sciences of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Budapest, Hungary.
authors.forename: Károly
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Vékey
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D055592:Biophysical Phenomena; D000067128:Extracellular Vesicles / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D008055:Lipids / Q000032:analysis; D013058:Mass Spectrometry / Q000379:methods*; D040901:Proteomics / Q000379:methods
chemical_list: D008055:Lipids
keywords: biomarker discovery; extracellular vesicles; lipids; proteins; subcellular proteomics