title: Functional transferred DNA within extracellular vesicles.
abstract: Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are small membrane vesicles including exosomes and shedding vesicles that mediated a cell-to-cell communication. EVs are released from almost all cell types under both physiological and pathological conditions and incorporate nuclear and cytoplasmic molecules for intercellular delivery. Besides protein, mRNA, and microRNA of these molecules, as recent studies show, specific DNA are prominently packaged into EVs. It appears likely that some of exosomes or shedding vesicles, bearing nuclear molecules are released upon bubble-like blebs. Specific interaction of EVs with susceptible recipients performs the uptake of EVs into the target cells, discharging their cargo including nuclear and cytoplasmic macromolecules into the cytosol. These findings expand the nucleic acid content of EVs to include increased levels of specific DNA. Thus, EVs contain a repertoire of genetic information available for horizontal gene transfer and potential use as blood biomarkers for cancer and atherosclerosis. In this review, the focus is on the characteristics, biological functions, and roles in diseases of DNA within EVs.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Daping Hospital, The Third Military Medical University, Chongqing 400042, China; Department of Neurology, Jinling Hospital, Nanjing University School of Medicine, Jiangsu Province, China.
authors.forename: Jin
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Cai
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Daping Hospital, The Third Military Medical University, Chongqing 400042, China.
authors.forename: Gengze
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.affiliation: Division of Nephrology, Department of Medicine and Physiology, University of Maryland, School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA.
authors.forename: Pedro A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Jose
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Daping Hospital, The Third Military Medical University, Chongqing 400042, China. Electronic address: Chunyuzeng01@163.com.
authors.forename: Chunyu
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Zeng
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004247:DNA / Q000378:metabolism*; D004194:Disease; D000067128:Extracellular Vesicles / Q000378:metabolism*; D018014:Gene Transfer Techniques; D006801:Humans; D008954:Models, Biological
chemical_list: D004247:DNA
keywords: Atherosclerosis; Cancer; DNA; Extracellular vesicle; Gene copy number; Horizontal transfer