Exosomes maintain cellular homeostasis by excreting harmful DNA from cells

Emerging evidence is revealing that exosomes contribute to many aspects of physiology and disease through intercellular communication. However, the biological roles of exosome secretion in exosome-secreting cells have remained largely unexplored. Here we show that exosome secretion plays a crucial role in maintaining cellular homeostasis in exosome-secreting cells. The inhibition of exosome secretion results in the accumulation of nuclear DNA in the cytoplasm, thereby causing the activation of cytoplasmic DNA sensing machinery. This event provokes the innate immune response, leading to reactive oxygen species (ROS)-dependent DNA damage response and thus induce senescence-like cell-cycle arrest or apoptosis in…

• CS
  Cell Science Research Foundation
• JA
  Japan Agency for Medical Research and Development

  Award: CREST
• PT
  Princess Takamatsu Cancer Research Fund
• BF
  BIKEN Foundation
• JS
  Japan Society for the Promotion of Science

  Awards: 25290046, 16H04700, 26250028, CREST, 15K06942
• CR
  Core Research for Evolutional Science and Technology