Thesis defense Xinyi Pei

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Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are lipid bilayer-enclosed particles released by various cell types, which can act as paracrine or endocrine messengers in both physiological and pathological contexts. This thesis focuses on the release and function of EVs during picornavirus infections. The primary aim of this thesis is to investigate how picornavirus infection influences EV release and to assess the functional properties of virus-induced EVs, particularly their infectivity and role in immune cell activation. We analyze how two picornaviruses, EMCV and CVB3, manipulate host cell signaling to promote the release of EV-enclosed viruses from infected cells. Additionally, we compare the infectivity of virus-containing EVs from different cell types and explore how immune cells recognize and respond to these virus-induced EVs.