Table 1.
Physical characteristics of EVs and commonly co-isolated contaminants.
| Diameter (nm) | Density (g/mL) | Shape | Sedimentation (g) | Classic markers | References [#] | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Exosomes | 40–150 | 1.13–1.19 | Uniform spherea | 100,000–200,000 | TSG101, ALIX, tetraspanins (CD63) | [34–37] |
| Microvesicles | 100–1000 | 1.02–1.20 | Asymmetric/heterogeneous | 10,000–12,000 | Integrins, selectins, ARRDC1b | [38–40] |
| Apoptotic bodies | 500–5000 | 1.16–1.28 | Heterogeneous, dense | 4000–12,000c | Phosphatidylserinehistones | [34,37,41] |
| LDL | 24–28 | 1.01–1.06 | Spherical | 200,000 | apoB-100 | [42,43] |
| HDL | 7–12 | 1.06–1.20 | Spherical | 200,000 | A-II | [42,43] |
| Albumin | 3.8 | N/A | Ellipsoid | 100,000–200,000 | N/A | [44] |
LDL and HDL measured by flotation in ultracentrifuge at 200,000 g for 1 h. Shape is determined by cryo-EM or NTA. Size is assessed by transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Density is determined from sucrose gradient. Sedimentation is determined by ultracentrifugation.
a
Exosomes have been reported as having a “cup” shape, however, this is due to the exosome collapsing during the drying process.
b
ARRDC1 is present on microvesicles collected from 120,000 g pellet.
c
100,000 g has isolated apoptotic bodies from UV-treated cells [37].