Biological Functions of Migrasome
XIE Renxiang1,2,3,4#, JIANG Dong1,2,3,4#, YU Li1,2,3,4*
Migrasomes are novel organelles produced during cell migration. Migrasomes, which are vesicle structures with diameters of 0.5-3.0 μm, grow at the end or the node of the retraction fibers as cells migrate. The process of releasing cellular contents through migrasome is termed as migracytosis. Migrasomes are enriched with signaling molecules and play vital roles in multiple biological processes, such as providing regional cues to regulate organ morphogenesis during gastrulation, transferring cellular materials to regulate surrounding cells, and disposing damaged mitochondria to maintain cellular homeostasis. In the past decade, researchers systematically explored the functions of migrasomes in various biological processes, and developed a series of tools and methods for migrasome study. This review summarizes the recent advances of migrasome functions in signal releasing, cellular homeostasis maintaining, and material transferring, as well as the methodology for migrasome study, which may provide insights for furtherly studying and understanding the potential functions of migrasomes.
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