Fracture of retraction fibers is crucial for the harvesting of migrasomes

Migrasomes are organelles that play important roles in cell communication, development, angiogenesis, and other cellular processes. It is crucial for investigators to collect migrasomes from both in vitro and in vivo sources. Traditionally, trypsin-EDTA has been used to harvest migrasomes from in vitro-cultured cells. However, our work demonstrated that treatment with trypsin-EDTA might cause the disappearance of migrasomes, thus reducing the efficiency of migrasome harvesting. By employing a low concentration of NP-40, we could fracture the retraction fibers between the migrasome and the cell body. Through the treatment of low-concentration NP-40 followed by trypsin-EDTA, we developed a new method for harvesting migrasomes, considerably increasing the harvesting efficiency. Our work provides new insights into the fundamental barriers that remain in the investigation of migrasomes.