fig1

Figure 1. Common mechanisms of extracellular vesicle biogenesis. Formation of exosomes (A) begins with the inward budding of the cell’s plasma membrane to create an endosome. The plasma membrane of the endosome then invaginates creating intraluminal vesicles. The endosomal plasma membrane can then fuse with the cell’s plasma membrane and release the intraluminal vesicles into the extracellular space as exosomes. Microvesicles (B) are formed as the cell’s plasma membrane blebs outwards and sheds, releasing vesicles into the extracellular space.