Figure 1.

Biogenesis and cargos of MVs. Extracellular vesicles include microvesicles (MVs), exosomes, oncosomes, and apoptotic bodies. MVs are produced via shedding from the plasma membrane and have diameters ranging from 100 to 1000nm. Increased intracellular Ca²⁺ can activate Ca²⁺-dependent enzymes, leading to depolymerization of the actin cytoskeleton and membrane remodeling, then promotion of MV shedding. Representative cargos of MVs are shown: P-gp, TF, EGFR, v-SNARE, ARF6, chemokine receptor, IL-6, IL-1β, VAMP-3, Ezrin, CD40, uPA, DNA, microRNA, tTG, EMMPRIN, MMPs, and VEGF.

Abbreviations: TF, tissue factor; EGFR, epidermal growth factor receptor; v-SNARE, vesicular soluble N-ethylmaleimide-sensitive factor attachment protein receptor; ARF6, ADP-ribosylation factor 6; IL-6, interleukin 6; IL-1β, interleukin 1β; VAMP-3, vesicle-associated membrane protein 3; CD40, cluster of differentiation 40; uPA, urokinase plasminogen activator; tTG, tissue-type transglutaminase; EMMPRIN, extracellular matrix metalloproteinase inducer; MMPs, matrix metalloproteinases; VEGF, vascular epithelial growth factor.