Acanthamoeba-derived Exosome Research and Application

Creative Biolabs summarizes recent research advances related to the characterization and potential biomedical applications of Acanthamoeba-derived exosomes and can provide research services to support projects on protozoan-derived exosomes.

Overview of Acanthamoeba and Their Released Exosomes Features

*Acanthamoeba*	Acanthamoeba-derived Exosome
Widely distributed in various ecological niches such as waters, soils, and decaying plants. Can cause immune dysfunction, resulting in keratitis, central nervous system inflammation, skin lesions, pulmonary infections, and diffuse systemic infections. Besides the pathogenicity of Acanthamoeba itself, the presence of endosymbiotic pathogens, including bacteria, fungi, and viruses, may enhance virulence. Understanding the role of Acanthamoeba as an environmental host and the classes of pathogens that host Acanthamoeba facilitates the control of the health threats it conveys.	Acanthamoeba-derived exosomes contain cargo compositions that are related to the culture conditions of their parent trophozoites. For example, under nutrient-stress conditions, Acanthamoeba-derived exosomes were found to carry additional proteins compared to steady-state conditions. The protein cargoes that Acanthamoeba-derived exosomes carry range from those associated with nutrient acquisition and digestion, amino acid metabolism, and cellular stress, to pathogenic proteases involved in the development of infectious diseases and cancers, as well as kinases and glycosidases that favor immune escape and colonization tropism. Potential applications of Acanthamoeba-derived exosomes involve their use as vaccines, drug delivery vehicles, and feedstocks for biofuel production. Studying the molecules carried within the Acanthamoeba-derived exosome that are involved in the infection establishment and the variation of cargo with the environmental conditions of trophozoite inhabitants could be favorable for the development of therapeutic strategies in which Acanthamoeba-derived exosomes serve as targets.

Acanthamoeba

Acanthamoeba-derived Exosome

Widely distributed in various ecological niches such as waters, soils, and decaying plants.
Can cause immune dysfunction, resulting in keratitis, central nervous system inflammation, skin lesions, pulmonary infections, and diffuse systemic infections.
Besides the pathogenicity of Acanthamoeba itself, the presence of endosymbiotic pathogens, including bacteria, fungi, and viruses, may enhance virulence.
Understanding the role of Acanthamoeba as an environmental host and the classes of pathogens that host Acanthamoeba facilitates the control of the health threats it conveys.

Acanthamoeba-derived exosomes contain cargo compositions that are related to the culture conditions of their parent trophozoites. For example, under nutrient-stress conditions, Acanthamoeba-derived exosomes were found to carry additional proteins compared to steady-state conditions.
The protein cargoes that Acanthamoeba-derived exosomes carry range from those associated with nutrient acquisition and digestion, amino acid metabolism, and cellular stress, to pathogenic proteases involved in the development of infectious diseases and cancers, as well as kinases and glycosidases that favor immune escape and colonization tropism.
Potential applications of Acanthamoeba-derived exosomes involve their use as vaccines, drug delivery vehicles, and feedstocks for biofuel production.
Studying the molecules carried within the Acanthamoeba-derived exosome that are involved in the infection establishment and the variation of cargo with the environmental conditions of trophozoite inhabitants could be favorable for the development of therapeutic strategies in which Acanthamoeba-derived exosomes serve as targets.

Fig. 1 Functions and applications of A. castellanii-derived exosomes.¹

Research Strategies for Acanthamoeba-derived Exosome

Research items	Method	Conclusion
Isolation of Acanthamoeba-derived exosomes.	Ultracentrifugation.	Exosomes generated from different genotypes of Acanthamoeba were successfully isolated.
Quantification of Acanthamoeba-derived exosomes.	NTA and electron microscopy.	The size and concentration of exosomes generated from Acanthamoeba did not differ substantially between genotypes.
Protease profiling of Acanthamoeba-derived exosomes.	Zymography assay.	Acanthamoeba-derived exosomes exhibited serine protease activity.
Measurement of immunomodulatory function.	Acanthamoeba-derived exosomes stimulated peritoneal macrophages, and levels of nitrite and cytokine release in the macrophages were then measured.	Environmental non-pathogenic strain-derived exosomes promoted higher levels of inflammation within immune cells compared to pathogenic strain-derived ones, while disruption of protease integrity attenuated this regulatory effect.

Fig. 2 Electron micrographs of exosomes generated from Acanthamoeba trophozoites.²

The roles of exosomes released by the protozoan Acanthamoeba have been progressively identified, including their roles in pathogen physiological mechanisms, environmental adaptations, and a wide range of potential applications. Creative Biolabs can provide services for the characterization and functional investigation of protozoan-derived exosomes, helping clients to better understand and evaluate protozoan pathogenic mechanisms. Please contact us to discuss your project.

References

Gonçalves, Diego de Souza, Marina da Silva Ferreira, and Allan J. Guimarães. "Extracellular vesicles from the protozoa Acanthamoeba castellanii: their role in pathogenesis, environmental adaptation and potential applications." Bioengineering 6.1 (2019): 13.
Costa, Adriana Oliveira, et al. "Distinct immunomodulatory properties of extracellular vesicles released by different strains of Acanthamoeba." Cell Biology International 45.5 (2021): 1060-1071.

Plant Exosome Isolation