mTOR and Extracellular Vesicles: Linking Chemical Stress to Ecological Communication

Abstract

Environmental stress, including that exerted by exposure to toxic chemicals, can shift cellular priorities from growth towards maintenance and communication. These changes in cellular resource allocation are coordinated by integrative molecular hubs such as the mechanistic Target of Rapamycin (mTOR) pathway. It regulates both the autophagy, which supports maintenance, and the release of extracellular vesicles (EVs), which mediate intercellular communication. This review discusses these interconnected processes and argues that environmental contaminants may influence not only intracellular signaling but also the molecular information exchanged among cells and potentially among organisms. EV-focused studies, performed at the intersection of chemical ecology, molecular biology, and ecotoxicology, can advance mechanistic understanding and open new opportunities for non-invasive environmental biomonitoring.