Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are released by cells into the extracellular milieu to facilitate intercellular communication in both physiological and pathological condition. EVs contain selective repertoires of proteins, RNAs, lipids and metabolites that moderate signalling pathways in the recipient cells. The enrichment of a particular set of proteins or RNAs within the EVs highlights the existence of specific sorting mechanisms that orchestrate the selective packaging of the cargo. The molecular machinery of cargo sorting has remained obscure over the years and functional studies are required to understand this complex mechanism. In this article, we offer a brief overview of the molecular mechanisms that are known to regulate sorting of various molecules into EVs. We also discuss how different pathways of biogenesis alter the exosomal cargo as well and the implications of the cellular state on the content of the EVs. Understanding the sorting of exosomal cargo could further be exploited in clinical settings for targeted drug delivery and to block disease progression.

细胞将囊泡（EVs）释放到细胞外环境中，以促进生理和病理条件下的细胞间通讯。电动汽车包含蛋白质，RNA，脂质和代谢产物的选择性库，这些库可调节受体细胞中的信号传导途径。电动汽车中一组特定的蛋白质或RNA的富集凸显了编排货物选择性包装的特定分类机制的存在。多年来，货物分拣的分子机制一直不清楚，因此需要进行功能研究以了解这种复杂的机制。在本文中，我们简要概述了已知的分子机制，这些分子机制可调节各种分子进入电动汽车的排序。我们还讨论了生物发生的不同途径也如何改变外泌体货物，以及细胞状态对电动汽车内容的影响。在临床环境中，可以进一步了解外泌体货物的分类，以进行靶向药物输送并阻止疾病进展。