Identification and characterization of the nano-sized vesicles released by muscle cells

•Muscle cells secrete nano-sized vesicles.•The release of nanovesicles increases during muscle differentiation.•Exosome-like particles bud from the plasma membrane of differentiated muscle cells.•Loss of Alix alters the budding and composition of these nanovesicles.

Several cell types secrete small membranous vesicles that contain cell-specific collections of proteins, lipids, and genetic material. The function of these vesicles is to allow cell-to-cell signaling and the horizontal transfer of their cargo molecules. Here, we demonstrate that muscle cells secrete nano-sized vesicles and that their release increases during muscle differentiation. Analysis of these nanovesicles allowed us to characterize them as exosome-like particles and to define the potential role of the multifunctional protein Alix in their biogenesis.