Extracellular vesicles as trans‐genomic agents: Emerging roles in disease and evolution

• Published in: Cancer science 2017-05, Vol.108 (5), p.824-830
• Main Authors: Kawamura, Yumi, Yamamoto, Yusuke, Sato, Taka‐Aki, Ochiya, Takahiro
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Biosynthesis; Cancer; Cancer microenvironment; Communication; Deoxyribonucleic acid; Dispersal; DNA; DNA - genetics; evolution; extracellular vesicle; Extracellular vesicles; Extracellular Vesicles - metabolism; Extracellular Vesicles - physiology; Gene transfer; Genome - genetics; Genomes; Genomics - methods; horizontal gene transfer; Humans; Melanoma; Mitochondrial DNA; Proteins; retrotransposon element; Review; Ribonucleic acid; RNA; Roles; Tumor Microenvironment - genetics; Viruses
• ISSN: 1347-9032; 1349-7006
• DOI: 10.1111/cas.13222

The composition of genetic material in extracellular vesicles (EV) has sparked interest particularly in the potential for horizontal gene transfer by EV. Although the RNA content of EV has been studied extensively, few reports have examined the DNA content of EV. It is still unclear how DNA is packaged inside EV, and whether they are functional in recipient cells. In this review, we describe the biological significance of genetic material in EV and their possible impacts in recipient cells, with focus on DNA from cancer cell‐derived EV and the potential roles they may play in the cancer microenvironment. Another important feature of the genetic content of EV is the presence of retrotransposon elements. In this review, we discuss the possibility of an EV‐mediated mechanism for the dispersal of retrotransposon elements, and their potential involvement in the development of genetically influenced diseases. In addition to this, we discuss the potential involvement of EV in the transfer of genetic material across species, and their possible impacts in modulating genome evolution. In this review paper, we describe the biological significance of genetic material in extracellular vesicles (EVs), with particular focus on the EV‐mediated transfer of DNA and retrotransposon elements. We describe the functional impacts of horizontal gene transfer by EVs in the development of genetically influenced diseases such as cancer and neurodegenerative diseases. We also discuss the potential involvement of EVs in the transfer of retrotransposon elements across species, and their potential impacts in genome modulation in evolution.