Comparative transcriptomic analysis of human and Drosophila extracellular vesicles.
Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are membrane-enclosed nanoparticles containing specific repertoires of genetic material. In mammals, EVs can mediate the horizontal transfer of various cargos and signaling molecules, notably miRNA and mRNA species. Whether this form of intercellular communication prevails in other metazoans remains unclear. Here, we report the first parallel comparative morphologic and transcriptomic characterization of EVs from Drosophila and human cellular models. Electronic microscopy revealed that human and Drosophila cells release similar EVs with diameters ranging from 30 to 200 nm, which contain complex populations of transcripts. RNA-seq identified abundant ribosomal RNAs, related pseudogenes and retrotransposons in human and Drosophila EVs. Vault RNAs and Y RNAs abounded in human samples, whereas small nucleolar RNAs involved in pseudouridylation were most prevalent in Drosophila EVs. Numerous mRNAs were identified, largely consisting of exonic sequences displaying full-length read coverage and enriched for translation and electronic transport chain functions. By analogy with human systems, these sizeable similarities suggest that EVs could potentially enable RNA-mediated intercellular communication in Drosophila.
Institut de Recherches Cliniques de Montréal (IRCM), Montréal, QC H2W 1R7, Canada.|Département de Biochimie, Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC H3T 1J4, Canada.
Fabio Alexis
FA
Lefebvre
Institut de Recherches Cliniques de Montréal (IRCM), Montréal, QC H2W 1R7, Canada.|Département de Biochimie, Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC H3T 1J4, Canada.
Louis Philip
LP
Benoit Bouvrette
Institut de Recherches Cliniques de Montréal (IRCM), Montréal, QC H2W 1R7, Canada.|Département de Biochimie, Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC H3T 1J4, Canada.
Lilyanne
L
Perras
Institut de Recherches Cliniques de Montréal (IRCM), Montréal, QC H2W 1R7, Canada.
Alexis
A
Blanchet-Cohen
Montreal Children's Hospital, Research Institute of the McGill University Health Center, Montreal, QC H4A 3J1, Canada.|INSERM UMR 1064-ITUN; CHU de Nantes, Nantes, 44093, France.
Delphine
D
Garnier
Montreal Children's Hospital, Research Institute of the McGill University Health Center, Montreal, QC H4A 3J1, Canada.
Janusz
J
Rak
Institut de Recherches Cliniques de Montréal (IRCM), Montréal, QC H2W 1R7, Canada.|Département de Biochimie, Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC H3T 1J4, Canada.|Division of Experimental Medicine, McGill University, Montréal, QC H3A 1A3, Canada.
Éric
É
Lécuyer
D000818:Animals; D004330:Drosophila / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D000067128:Extracellular Vesicles / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D006801:Humans; D020537:RNA, Small Nucleolar / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D013045:Species Specificity; D059467:Transcriptome
D020537:RNA, Small Nucleolar