The role of exosomes in the processing of proteins associated with neurodegenerative diseases

Abstract

Exosomes are small membranous vesicles secreted by a number of cell types and can be isolated from conditioned cell media or bodily fluids such as urine and plasma. Exosome biogenesis involves the inward budding of multivesicular bodies (MVB) to form intraluminal vesicles (ILV). When fused with the plasma membrane, the MVB releases the vesicles into the extracellular environment as exosomes. Proposed functions of these vesicles include roles in cell-cell signalling, removal of unwanted proteins, and the transfer of pathogens between cells, such as HIV-1. Another such pathogen which exploits this pathway is the prion, the infectious particle responsible for the transmissible neurodegenerative..