Proteomic Analysis of Blood Exosomes from Healthy Females and Breast Cancer Patients Reveals an Association between Different Exosomal Bioactivity on Non-tumorigenic Epithelial Cell and Breast Cancer Cell Migration in Vitro

Biomolecules. 2020 Mar 25;10(4):495. doi: 10.3390/biom10040495.

Abstract

Exosomes are important intercellular communication vehicles, secreted into body fluids by multiple cell types, including tumor cells. They contribute to the metastatic progression of tumor cells through paracrine signalling. It has been recently discovered that blood circulating exosomes contain distinguishable fractions of free and cell-surface-associated vesicles. We evaluated the influence of protein cargoes from exosomes from plasma, and exosomes from the total blood of healthy females (HFs) and breast cancer patients (BCPs), on cell motility. We conducted a mass spectrometric analysis of exosomal contents isolated from samples using ultrafiltration and ultracentrifugation approaches and verified their nature using transmission electron microscopy, nanoparticle tracking analysis and flow cytometry. We observed that malignant neoplasm-associated proteins in exosomes from BCP total blood were detected more often than in plasma (66% vs. 59%). FunRich analysis to assess Gene Ontology (GO) enrichment revealed that proteins with catalytic activities, transporter functions and protein metabolism activities were increased in exosomes from BCP blood. Finally, GO analysis revealed that proteomic profiles of exosomes from HF total blood were enriched with proteins inhibiting cell migration and invasion, which explains the low stimulating activity of exosomes from HF total blood on SKBR-3 cancer cell migration velocity. This allows exosomes to act as intermediaries providing intercellular communications through horizontal transfer of RNA and functionally active proteins, potentially affecting the development of both primary neoplasms and distant metastases.

Keywords: breast cancer; exosomes; mass-spectrometry; migration.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • ADAM10 Protein / blood
  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Amyloid Precursor Protein Secretases / blood
  • Antigens, CD / metabolism
  • Breast Neoplasms / blood
  • Breast Neoplasms / pathology*
  • Cell Line, Tumor
  • Cell Movement*
  • Cell-Free System
  • Epithelial Cells / metabolism
  • Epithelial Cells / pathology
  • Exosomes / metabolism*
  • Exosomes / transplantation
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Membrane Proteins / blood
  • Middle Aged
  • Proteins / analysis*
  • Proteins / metabolism
  • Proteomics / methods

Substances

  • Antigens, CD
  • Membrane Proteins
  • Proteins
  • Amyloid Precursor Protein Secretases
  • ADAM10 Protein
  • ADAM10 protein, human