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STEM CELL NICHES

EV signalling in the haematopoietic niche

Nature Reviews Molecular Cell Biology volume 22, page 711 (2021)Cite this article

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Extracellular vesicles (EVs) mediate cell−cell communication between many if not all cell types, but their roles in vivo are unclear. Kfoury et al. now report that EVs containing tRNA fragments known as tRNA-derived stress-induced RNAs (tiRNAs) produced by osteoblasts in the bone marrow promote haematopoietic stem and progenitor cell (HSPC) proliferation and increase host immunity.

Using GFP-expressing mouse models, transmission electron microscopy and confocal imaging, the authors observed that bone marrow-derived osteoblasts produce EVs that transfer GFP protein and mRNA into hematopoietic cells in vivo, especially into granulocyte–monocyte progenitors (GMPs). Bone marrow-derived EVs and GFP+GMPs that took them up had high amounts of 12 tRNAs, and ~35 nt-long tiRNAs were especially abundant. A co-culture assay confirmed the transfer of tiRNAs from osteoblasts to GMPs.

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Original article

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  • O’Brien, K. et al. RNA delivery by extracellular vesicles in mammalian cells and its applications. Nat. Rev. Mol. Cell Biol. 21, 585–606 (2020)

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  • Pinho, S. & Frenette, P. S. Haematopoietic stem cell activity and interactions with the niche. Nat. Rev. Mol. Cell Biol. 20, 303–320 (2019)

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  1. Nature Reviews Molecular Cell Biology http://www.nature.com/nrm/

    Kim Baumann

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  1. Kim Baumann
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Correspondence to Kim Baumann.

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Baumann, K. EV signalling in the haematopoietic niche. Nat Rev Mol Cell Biol 22, 711 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41580-021-00423-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41580-021-00423-0

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