fig1

Figure 1. Biogenesis of EVs. Exosome formation begins with the invagination of the plasma membrane to form an early endosome. The early endosome internalizes proteins and a variety of RNA that are packaged by the golgi apparatus, forming intraluminal vesicles (ILVs) within a multivesicular body (MVB). The MVB travels to the cell membrane to release ILVs, which are then referred to as exosomes. Microvesicles (MVs) are formed by the packaging of proteins and RNA at the level of the cell membrane by the process of outward budding.