Platelet activation leads to secretion of granule contents and to the formation of microvesicles by shedding of membranes from the cell surface. Recently, we have described small internal vesicles in multivesicular bodies (MVBs) and a-granules, and suggested that these vesicles are secreted during platelet activation, analogous to the secretion of vesicles termed exosomes by other cell types. I...

The possibility that platelets release microvesicles on adherence to either von Willebrand factor (vWf) or collagen was examined by flow cytometry analysis of the supernatant above layers of adherent platelets. No microvesicle release was detected as a result of adherence to vWf or to collagen, a known platelet agonist. Approximately 8% of the total platelet mass was released as microvesicles a...

The innate immune system is the first mechanism of vertebrate defense against pathogen infection. In this study, we present evidence for a novel immune evasion mechanism of Trypanosoma cruzi, mediated by host cell plasma membrane-derived vesicles. We found that T. cruzi metacyclic trypomastigotes induced microvesicle release from blood cells early in infection. Upon their release, microvesicles...

Cell-derived vesicles represent a recently discovered mechanism for intercellular communication. We investigated their potential role in interaction of microbes with host organisms. We provide evidence that different stimuli induced isolated neutrophilic granulocytes to release microvesicles with different biologic properties. Only opsonized particles initiated the formation of microvesicles th...

Cells release multiple, distinct forms of extracellular vesicles including structures known as microvesicles, which are known to alter the extracellular environment. Despite growing understanding of microvesicle biogenesis, function and contents, mechanisms regulating cargo delivery and enrichment remain largely unknown. Here we demonstrate that in amoeboid-like invasive tumour cell lines, the ...

Microvesicles and exosomes have emerged as a new mode of intercellular communication in cancer. In recent years, microvesicles have received increasing attention from the scientific community for their role in regulating and transferring active molecules responsible for tumor progression and metastasis. Controversy arises from the fact that microvesicles can transfer tumor-promoting molecules s...

We show in this study that human T cells purified from peripheral blood, T cell clones, and Jurkat T cells release microvesicles in the culture medium. These microvesicles have a diameter of 50-100 nm, are delimited by a lipidic bilayer membrane, and bear TCR beta, CD3epsilon, and zeta. This microvesicle production is regulated because it is highly increased upon TCR activation, whereas another...

Although tissue factor (TF), the principial initiator of physiological coagulation and pathological thrombosis, has recently been proposed to be present in human blood, the functional significance and location of the intravascular TF is unknown. In the plasma portion of blood, we found TF to be mainly associated with circulating microvesicles. By cell sorting with the specific marker CD42b, pla...

The platelet plasma membrane is lined by a membrane skeleton that appears to contain short actin filaments cross-linked by actin-binding protein. Actin-binding protein is in turn associated with specific plasma membrane glycoproteins. The aim of this study was to determine whether the membrane skeleton regulates properties of the plasma membrane. Platelets were incubated with agents that disrup...

early disease detection is a logical, imperative goal necessary to improve dramatically the patient's odds for successful treatment strategies, survival and overall increase the quality of life. Given the continuous increase in health care cost mostly due to therapy focused on end stage sequelae of diseases rather than prevention and early detection, it has become increasingly clear that existi...