Figure 3.

Extracellular vesicles biogenesis and secretion. A eukaryotic cell is schematically represented creating and secreting EVs. (1) Biogenesis of exosomes starts as ILVs following budding into early endosomes. However, ESCRT-dependent or ESCRT-independent MVBs form and undergo one of two fates; degradation through fusion with lysosomes or release of exosomes through fusion with the plasma membrane. (2) Outward budding and fission of the plasma membrane leads to shedding of micro vesicles to extracellular space regulated by phospholipid redistribution and cytoskeletal protein contraction. (3) Upon programmed cell death, apoptotic bodies are formed by actin-myosin mediated membrane blebbing and known as the largest EVs.