Biochemistry Commons^™

Investigating The Role Of Tethering In Exosomal Secretion, Zdeněk Otruba

Undergraduate Theses, Capstones, and Recitals

Exosomes are a type of membrane vesicles utilized in intercellular communication. Exosomes are first packaged into larger membrane vesicles called multivesicular bodies (MVBs). When exosomes are secreted, the membrane of the MVBs fuses with the cellular membrane, and then the exosomes are released. Experimental observations suggest that the movement of the exosomes is hindered during this process; they require much longer time to leave the fusion site than they would if they were diffusing freely. A prevalent hypothesis is that the cause of this hindrance is attachment of the exosomes to the cell surface. Recent work suggests that tetherin, a …