Exosomes from hypoxic endothelial cells have increased collagen crosslinking activity through up-regulation of lysyl oxidase-like 2

Exosomes are important mediators of intercellular communication. Additionally, they contain a variety of components capable of interacting with the extracellular matrix (ECM), including integrins, matrix metalloproteinases and members of the immunoglobin superfamily. Despite these observations, research on exosome-ECM interactions is limited. Here, we investigate whether the exosome-associated lysyl oxidase family member lysyl oxidase-like 2 (LOXL2) is involved in ECM remodelling. We found that LOXL2 is present on the exterior of endothelial cell (EC)-derived exosomes, placing it in direct vicinity of the ECM. It is up-regulated twofold in EC-derived exosomes cultured under hypoxic conditions. Intact exosomes from hypoxic EC and LOXL2 overexpressing EC show increased activity in a fluorometric lysyl oxidase enzymatic activity assay as well as in a collagen gel contraction assay. Concordantly, knockdown of LOXL2 in exosome-producing EC in both normal and hypoxic conditions reduces activity of exosomes in both assays. Our findings show for the first time that ECM crosslinking by EC-derived exosomes is mediated by LOXL2 under the regulation of hypoxia, and implicate a role for exosomes in hypoxia-regulated focal ECM remodelling, a key process in both fibrosis and wound healing.