Detection of mitochondria-pertinent components in exosomes.
Wang. Xiaowan X; Weidling. Ian I; Koppel. Scott S; Menta. Blaise B; Perez Ortiz. Judit J; Kalani. Anuradha A; Wilkins. Heather M HM; Swerdlow. Russell H RH
Key Findings
- Humanin is present in both cell‑derived and plasma‑derived exosomes
- Exosomes also carry mitochondrial proteins like citrate synthase and VDAC1, plus fragments of mitochondrial DNA and mRNA
- The findings suggest exosomes could serve as biomarkers for mitochondrial integrity
Practical Outcomes
- The main takeaway is that measuring humanin or other mitochondrial markers in blood exosomes might give clues about your mitochondrial health. While this hints at future ways to monitor or even deliver humanin, no specific dosing or protocol is provided, so it’s more of a research insight than a ready‑to‑use hack.
Summary
Scientists found that tiny particles called exosomes, which float in our blood and come from cells, contain the peptide humanin along with other mitochondrial proteins and bits of mitochondrial DNA. This shows exosomes could be a natural way the body carries signals about mitochondrial health, but the study doesn’t give any direct tips on how to use this for health improvement yet.
Abstract
We screened cell line and plasma-derived exosomes for molecules that localize to mitochondria or that reflect mitochondrial integrity. SH-SY5Y cell-derived exosomes contained humanin, citrate synthase, and fibroblast growth factor 21 protein, and plasma-derived exosomes contained humanin, voltage-dependent anion-selective channel 1, and transcription factor A protein. Nuclear mitochondrial (NUMT) DNA complicated analyses of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA), which otherwise suggested exosomes contain at most very low amounts of extended mtDNA sequences but likely contain degraded pieces of mtDNA. Cell and plasma-derived exosomes contained several mtDNA-derived mRNA sequences, including those for ND2, CO2, and humanin. These results can guide exosome-focused, mitochondria-pertinent biomarker development.
Study Information
pubmed
2020
2020-09-24T00:00:00.000Z
10.1016/j.mito.2020.09.006
42
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