Exosomal short RNA sequencing experiments. Homo sapiens

The characterization of extracellular vesicular RNA (EV RNA) derived from nine cell types demonstrated the diversity of cell type specific RNA biotypes. A large proportion of these cell type specific RNAs are denoted by their processing into shorter versions of their full length structures as they function with the cells of origin. specific portions of annotated pre-miRNA, tRNA, YRNA and other RNAs within EVs. Our results also establish the cell state specific dynamicity in EV RNA distributions, qualifying one of the important aspects of communication. In addition, the study highlights both the temporal dynamics and spatial localization of intact EV RNA after transfer into a recipient cell, and their ability to elicit a wide range of transcriptional changes within them. We also demonstrated the cell type specificity in response from two different cell types, when exposed to the same EV RNA stimuli, underscoring the context dependent interpretation of the complex EV RNA message. In doing so, we shed light on a novel and under-appreciated medium of non-cell autonomous regulation of gene expression, through which cells in a complex multicellular organism may shape the transcriptional landscape of other cells and achieve synchronized functioning of involved cells in response to a certain micro-environment at the system level. Overall design: Exosomal short RNA sequencing experiments