Nuclear transport of cancer extracellular vesicle-derived biomaterials through nuclear envelope invagination-associated late endosomes

Abstract

// Germana Rappa 1,4 , Mark F. Santos 1,4 , Toni M. Green 1 , Jana Karbanová 2 , Justin Hassler 1 , Yongsheng Bai 3 , Sanford H. Barsky 1 , Denis Corbeil 2 and Aurelio Lorico 1 1 Roseman Cancer Center and Department of Pathology, Roseman University College of Medicine, Las Vegas, NV, USA 2 Biotechnology Center and DFG Research Center, Technische Universität Dresden, Tatzberg, Dresden, Germany 3 Indiana State University, Terre Haute, IN, USA 4 Co-first author Correspondence to: Aurelio Lorico, email: // Denis Corbeil, email: // Keywords : cancer, endosome, extracellular vesicle, mesenchymal stromal cell, nuclear envelope invagination Received : January10, 2017 Accepted : January 11, 2017 Published : January 24, 2017 Abstract Extracellular membrane vesicles (EVs) function as vehicles of intercellular communication, but how the biomaterials they carry reach the target site in recipient cells is an open question. We report that subdomains of Rab7 + late endosomes and nuclear envelope invaginations come together to create a sub-nuclear compartment, where biomaterials associated with CD9 + EVs are delivered. EV-derived biomaterials were also found in the nuclei of host cells. The inhibition of nuclear import and export pathways abrogated the nuclear localization of EV-derived biomaterials or led to their accumulation therein, respectively, suggesting that their translocation is dependent on nuclear pores. Nuclear envelope invagination-associated late endosomes were observed in ex vivo biopsies in both breast carcinoma and associated stromal cells. The transcriptome of stromal cells exposed to cancer cell-derived CD9 + EVs revealed that the regulation of eleven genes, notably those involved in inflammation, relies on the nuclear translocation of EV-derived biomaterials. Our findings uncover a new cellular pathway used by EVs to reach nuclear compartment.