Abstract
There is a rapidly growing body of evidence that production of microvesicles (MVs) is a universal feature of cellular life. MVs can incorporate microRNA (miRNA), mRNA, mtDNA, DNA and retrotransposons, camouflage viruses/viral components from immune surveillance, and transfer cargo between cells. These properties make MVs an essential player in intercellular communication. Increasing evidence supports the notion that MVs can also act as long-distance vehicles for RNA molecules and participate in metabolic synchronization and reprogramming eukaryotic cells including stem and germinal cells. MV ability to carry on DNA and their general distribution makes them attractive candidates for horizontal gene transfer, particularly between multi-cellular organisms and their parasites; this suggests important implications for the co-evolution of parasites and their hosts. In this review, we provide current understanding of the roles played by MVs in intracellular pathogens and parasitic infections. We also discuss the possible role of MVs in co-infection and host shifting.
Highlights
Production of membrane-enclosed microvesicles (MVs) is a universal feature of cellular life and has been demonstrated for organisms as diverse as Proteobacteria, Archaea, plants, and animals (Ellis and Kuehn, 2010; Silverman and Reiner, 2012; Deatherage and Cookson, 2012)
MV ability to carry on DNA and their general distribution makes them attractive candidates for horizontal gene transfer, between multi-cellular organisms and their parasites; this suggests important implications for the co-evolution of parasites and their hosts
We anticipate that recent findings regarding the participation of MVs in the transfer of genetic information will expand the functions attributed to MVs in the host-parasite evolution
Summary
Reviewed by: Stacey Gilk, Indiana University School of Medicine, USA Antonio Marcilla, Universitat de Valencia, Spain. There is a rapidly growing body of evidence that production of microvesicles (MVs) is a universal feature of cellular life. MVs can incorporate microRNA (miRNA), mRNA, mtDNA, DNA and retrotransposons, camouflage viruses/viral components from immune surveillance, and transfer cargo between cells. These properties make MVs an essential player in intercellular communication. MV ability to carry on DNA and their general distribution makes them attractive candidates for horizontal gene transfer, between multi-cellular organisms and their parasites; this suggests important implications for the co-evolution of parasites and their hosts. We provide current understanding of the roles played by MVs in intracellular pathogens and parasitic infections. We discuss the possible role of MVs in co-infection and host shifting
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
