Biology subjects

Fuhrmann, G.

Publications and source records attributed to Fuhrmann, G..

3 recordsLinked to original sources

bioRxiv2025

Extracellular vesicles and their RNA cargo facilitate bidirectional cross-kingdom communication between human and bacterial cells

While extracellular vesicles (EVs) are established mediators of intra-species signaling, their role as active participants in cross-kingdom communication remains incompletely understood. Here, we reveal that human colon cells and both Gram-positive and Gram-negative gut bacteria engage in species-specific, EV-mediated molecular dialogue, driven in part by RNA cargo. We show that bacterial EVs (BEVs) induce distinct transcriptomic responses in human cells, and that BEV-RNA independently causes similar effects. Conversely, we demonstrate that human EVs and highly abundant miR-192-5p are differentially internalized by bacteria, affecting their physiology. Our findings support a conceptual model in which EVs function as directional messengers that shape host-microbiome interactions. This study introduces a framework for understanding EVs as cross-kingdom regulators and underscores the importance of tailored, context-specific analyses for understanding the scope of EV-mediated interactions in microbiome-host homeostasis and disease. Highlights[1] L. casei, E. faecalis and P. mirabilis produce BEVs that are internalized by Caco-2 cells at different rates. BEVs produced by L. casei have a positive influence on the viability of Caco-2 cells. Incubation of Caco-2 cells with BEVs leads to changes in the gene expression of immune-response-related genes. [2] BEVs carry RNAs and the type of RNA cargo varies significantly between the BEVs from the different bacteria. Comparison of Caco-2 gene deregulation between BEVs and transfection of RNA isolated from BEV highlights component-specific effects. [3] Caco-2 EVs are taken up by E. faecalis and influence their growth. MiRNA-192-5p can be frequently detected in EVs from Caco-2 cells. Synthetic miR-192-5p is internalized by P. mirabilis and the ability to take up human miRNAs by L. casei and E. faecalis can be increased by packaging of the miRNA in artificial liposomes.

molecular biology↗

bioRxiv2024

EV-Checklist: A fast documentation tool for enhancing transparency and accessibility in extracellular vesicle research.

Extracellular vesicle (EV) research has experienced rapid growth in the past decade. While community-driven efforts, such as the MISEV guidelines (2014, 2018, 2023), have aimed to standardize reporting and enhance experimental rigor, these have not yet been universally adopted in daily EV research practices. The complexity and time commitment required by existing reporting tools can deter researchers from fully embracing them, leading to incomplete or inconsistent documentation in EV studies. Therefore, we created EV-checklist, a complementary digital tool to streamline documentation during manuscript submission and increase transparency for the reviewers, editors and readers. Our tool guides researchers through a straightforward checklist covering nomenclature, source, isolation, characterization, and functional studies of EVs. It generates a concise two-page PDF formatted table for easy integration into manuscripts and provides editors, reviewers, and readers with a clear overview of the conducted studies. EV-Checklist intends to complement existing comprehensive registries as a fast-and-easy tool to enhance clarity and accessibility of methodological and functional insights. It may also promote higher adherence to documentation standards and in EV studies. Our tool is available on https://ev-zone.org.

scientific communication and education↗

bioRxiv2021

Vesicle-bound regulatory RNAs are associated with tissue aging

Previous work on murine models and human demonstrated global as well as tissue-specific molecular aging trajectories in solid tissues and body fluids1-8. Extracellular vesicles like exosomes play a crucial role in communication and information exchange in between such systemic factors and solid tissues9,10. We sequenced freely circulating and vesicle-bound small regulatory RNAs in mice at five time points across the average life span from 2 to 18 months. Intriguingly, each small RNA class exhibits unique aging patterns, which showed differential signatures between vesicle-bound and freely circulating molecules. In particular, tRNA fragments showed overall highest correlation with aging which also matched well between sample types, facilitating age prediction with non-negative matrix factorization (86% accuracy). Interestingly, rRNAs exhibited inverse correlation trajectories between vesicles and plasma while vesicle-bound microRNAs (miRNAs) were exceptionally strong associated with aging. Affected miRNAs regulate the inflammatory response and transcriptional processes, and adipose tissues show considerable effects in associated gene regulatory modules. Finally, nanoparticle tracking and electron microscopy suggest a shift from overall many small to fewer but larger vesicles in aged plasma, potentially contributing to systemic aging trajectories and affecting the molecular aging of organs.

molecular biology↗