LC3-dependent extracellular vesicle loading and secretion (LDELS)

Accumulating evidence implicates various autophagy-related (ATG) proteins in cellular secretion. Recently, we identified a new secretory autophagy pathway in which components of LC3 conjugation machinery specify the incorporation of RNA binding proteins (RBPs) and small non-coding RNAs into extracellular vesicles (EVs), resulting in their secretion outside of cells. We term this process LC3-Dependent EV Loading and Secretion (LDELS). Importantly, LDELS is distinct from classical macroautophagy/autophagy because it requires components of the LC3 conjugation machinery, but not other ATGs involved in autophagosome formation. Because EVs have emerged as mediators of intracellular communication, our results provide new insight into how the autophagy machinery may influence the non-cell autonomous exchange of information between cells.