Table 1. Open in new tab Nomenclature...

Extracellular vesicle category

Characteristic diameter (nm)

Cellular origin

Reference

Mammalian-derived

Exosome

<150

Multivesicular body

Russell et al. (2019)

Microvesicle

>200

Plasma membrane

Tricarico, Clancy and D'Souza-Schorey (2017)

Apoptotic cell-derived extracellular vesicles

>50

Broad biogenesis derived from apoptotic cells (includes apoptotic bodies)

Caruso and Poon (2018)

Apoptotic microvesicles

50–1000

Biogenesis unclear

Caruso and Poon (2018)

Apoptotic bodies

1000–5000

Apoptotic cell plasma membrane blebbing

Caruso and Poon (2018)

Plant-derived

Exosomes/Exosome-like (PEN1-, TET8- and EXPO-positive subsets)

<500

Multivesicular body, exocyst-positive organelles (EXPO)

Rutter and Innes (2017); Cui et al. (2020); He et al. (2021)

Microbe-associated

Bacterial outer membrane vesicles

20–400

Budding of outer membrane of Gram-negative bacteria

Toyofuku, Nomura and Eberl (2019)

Gram-positive bacterial extracellular vesicles

10–400

The biogenesis remains disputed

Liu et al. (2018)

Fungal-derived extracellular vesicles

50–1000

Diverse, poorly understood class; similarities to higher eukaryotes

Joffe et al. (2016)

Protozoa-derived extracellular vesicles

30–500

Diverse pathways; similarities to higher eukaryotes

Ofir-Birin and Regev-Rudzki (2019)

Table 1.

Open in new tab

Nomenclature and origin of commonly described extracellular vesicle populations.

Extracellular vesicle category		Characteristic diameter (nm)	Cellular origin	Reference
Mammalian-derived	Exosome	<150	Multivesicular body	Russell et al. (2019)
	Microvesicle	>200	Plasma membrane	Tricarico, Clancy and D'Souza-Schorey (2017)
	Apoptotic cell-derived extracellular vesicles	>50	Broad biogenesis derived from apoptotic cells (includes apoptotic bodies)	Caruso and Poon (2018)
	Apoptotic microvesicles	50–1000	Biogenesis unclear	Caruso and Poon (2018)
	Apoptotic bodies	1000–5000	Apoptotic cell plasma membrane blebbing	Caruso and Poon (2018)
Plant-derived	Exosomes/Exosome-like (PEN1-, TET8- and EXPO-positive subsets)	<500	Multivesicular body, exocyst-positive organelles (EXPO)	Rutter and Innes (2017); Cui et al. (2020); He et al. (2021)
Microbe-associated	Bacterial outer membrane vesicles	20–400	Budding of outer membrane of Gram-negative bacteria	Toyofuku, Nomura and Eberl (2019)
	Gram-positive bacterial extracellular vesicles	10–400	The biogenesis remains disputed	Liu et al. (2018)
	Fungal-derived extracellular vesicles	50–1000	Diverse, poorly understood class; similarities to higher eukaryotes	Joffe et al. (2016)
	Protozoa-derived extracellular vesicles	30–500	Diverse pathways; similarities to higher eukaryotes	Ofir-Birin and Regev-Rudzki (2019)

Extracellular vesicle category		Characteristic diameter (nm)	Cellular origin	Reference
Mammalian-derived	Exosome	<150	Multivesicular body	Russell et al. (2019)
	Microvesicle	>200	Plasma membrane	Tricarico, Clancy and D'Souza-Schorey (2017)
	Apoptotic cell-derived extracellular vesicles	>50	Broad biogenesis derived from apoptotic cells (includes apoptotic bodies)	Caruso and Poon (2018)
	Apoptotic microvesicles	50–1000	Biogenesis unclear	Caruso and Poon (2018)
	Apoptotic bodies	1000–5000	Apoptotic cell plasma membrane blebbing	Caruso and Poon (2018)
Plant-derived	Exosomes/Exosome-like (PEN1-, TET8- and EXPO-positive subsets)	<500	Multivesicular body, exocyst-positive organelles (EXPO)	Rutter and Innes (2017); Cui et al. (2020); He et al. (2021)
Microbe-associated	Bacterial outer membrane vesicles	20–400	Budding of outer membrane of Gram-negative bacteria	Toyofuku, Nomura and Eberl (2019)
	Gram-positive bacterial extracellular vesicles	10–400	The biogenesis remains disputed	Liu et al. (2018)
	Fungal-derived extracellular vesicles	50–1000	Diverse, poorly understood class; similarities to higher eukaryotes	Joffe et al. (2016)
	Protozoa-derived extracellular vesicles	30–500	Diverse pathways; similarities to higher eukaryotes	Ofir-Birin and Regev-Rudzki (2019)

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