Tumour microvesicles contain retrotransposon elements and amplified oncogene sequences

Leonora Balaj, Ryan Lessard, Lixin Dai, Yoon-Jae Cho, Scott L. Pomeroy, Xandra O. Breakefield and Johan Skog ()
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Leonora Balaj: Harvard Medical School
Ryan Lessard: Harvard Medical School
Lixin Dai: The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine
Yoon-Jae Cho: Children's Hospital
Scott L. Pomeroy: Massachusetts General Hospital, and Neuroscience Program, Harvard Medical School
Xandra O. Breakefield: Harvard Medical School
Johan Skog: Harvard Medical School

Nature Communications, 2011, vol. 2, issue 1, 1-9

Abstract: Abstract Tumour cells release an abundance of microvesicles containing a selected set of proteins and RNAs. Here, we show that tumour microvesicles also carry DNA, which reflects the genetic status of the tumour, including amplification of the oncogene c-Myc. We also find amplified c-Myc in serum microvesicles from tumour-bearing mice. Further, we find remarkably high levels of retrotransposon RNA transcripts, especially for some human endogenous retroviruses, such as LINE-1 and Alu retrotransposon elements, in tumour microvesicles and these transposable elements could be transferred to normal cells. These findings expand the nucleic acid content of tumour microvesicles to include: elevated levels of specific coding and non-coding RNA and DNA, mutated and amplified oncogene sequences and transposable elements. Thus, tumour microvesicles contain a repertoire of genetic information available for horizontal gene transfer and potential use as blood biomarkers for cancer.

Date: 2011
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DOI: 10.1038/ncomms1180

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