Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are small membrane-bound particles that are loaded with various proteins, RNA, DNA, and lipids, and secreted by cells. Interest in these vesicles has grown in recent years with mounting evidence that EVs act as intercellular communication systems, transferring their selected cargo to other cells to confer specific effects on target cell biology. However, the processes that direct specific RNAs and proteins into these specialized vesicles remain largely unknown. In the April 25th, 2022 edition of Developmental Cell, Alissa Weaver, M.D., Ph.D. and her research team at the Vanderbilt Center for Extracellular Vesicle Research have uncovered subcellular hubs of EV formation that selectively assemble RNA-containing EVs. These hubs are located at membrane contact sites (MCS) where the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) interacts with EV biogenesis membranes, including late endosomal multivesicular bodies (MVBs) (ER-MVB MCS). Shedding much needed mechanistic light, the group further pinpointed the ER MCS membrane tether protein VAP-A and its binding partner ceramide transfer protein (CERT) as key drivers in this process.
