Size |
50-100 nm |
20-1000 nm |
50-200 nm |
50–80 to 600 nm |
20-50 nm |
50-500 nm and 500-4000 nm |
Density in sucrose |
1.13–1.19 g/ml |
ND |
ND |
1.04–1.07 g/ml |
1.1 g/ml |
1.16–1.28 g/ml |
EM morphology |
Cup shape |
Irregular shape and electron-dense |
Bilamellar round structures |
Round |
Irregular shape |
Heterogeneous |
Sedimentation |
100,000 g |
10,000–20,000 g |
160,000–200,000 g |
100,000–200,000 g |
175,000 g |
1200 g, 10,000 g or 100,000 g |
Lipid composition |
Enriched in cholesterol, sphingomyelin and ceramide; contain lipid rafts; expose phosphatidylserine |
Expose phosphatidylserine |
Enriched in cholesterol and diacylglycerol; expose phosphatidylserine |
ND |
Do not contain lipid rafts |
Expose phosphatidylserine |
Main protein markers |
Tetraspanins (CD63, CD9), Alix and TSg101 |
Integrins, selectins and CD40 ligand, VCAMP3, ARF6 |
CR1 and proteolytic enzymes; no CD63 |
CD133; no CD63 |
TNFRI |
Histones, caspase3, C3b |
Intracellular origin |
Internal compartments (endosomes) |
Plasma membrane |
Plasma membrane |
Plasma membrane |
Internal compartments |
Plasma membrane, endoplasmic reticulum |