169-OR: LC3+ Extracellular Vesicles (EVs) Are Associated with Altered ß-Cell Autophagy, Islet Inflammation, and Diabetes

Introduction: EVs, nanoparticles housing molecular cargo, change based on parent cell health and contribute to cell-cell communication. Yet, mechanisms governing changes and physiological significance of β cell EV cargo remain unclear. Autophagy is a critical intracellular degradation and recycling process to clear damaged cellular components. EV-autophagy crosstalk is an emerging area of interest with implications for both physiological and pathological states. We have described altered β cell autophagy associated with islet inflammation and type 1 diabetes (T1D). Based on this and reports of autophagy machinery such as LC3 in EVs from other systems, we hypothesized that changes in the LC3+ EV population could yield insight into β cell autophagy. Methods: Small EVs (