mDCs retain HIV-1, VLPs and exosomes in the same CD81⁺ intracellular compartment. (A-C) Electron micrographs of mDCs sections exposed in parallel to HIV_NL43, VLP_HIV-Gag-eGFP, and Exosomes_DiI, showing similar large vesicles containing these particles. Arrows indicate captured particles magnified in panel D, where comparative micrographs show, from left to right: HIV_NL43, VLP_HIV-Gag-eGFP, and a Jurkat-derived exosome. (E) Confocal images of a section of mDC exposed to HIV_{vpr-eGFP/NL43} and Exosomes_DiI for 4 hours and stained with DAPI. Top images show the mDC, where the red and green fluorescence that merged with DAPI either with or without the bright-field cellular shape are presented. Bottom images show magnification of vesicles containing these particles where individual green and red fluorescence and the combination of both are depicted. (F) Confocal images of a section of a mDC exposed to VLP_HIV-Gag-eGFP and Exosomes_DiI as described in panel E. (G) Confocal images of a section of a mDC exposed to red fluorescent VLP_{HIV-Gag-Cherry} (top) or Exosomes_DiI (bottom) in parallel for 4 hours, fixed, and permeabilized to stain with DAPI and FITC-CD81. Images shown, from left to right, depict individual green and red fluorescence channels and the combination of both merged with DAPI. (H) Confocal images obtained as in panel G, except that cells were stained with DAPI and FITC-LAMP-1. mDCs retain VLP_HIV-Gag-eGFP and Exosomes_DiI in a CD81⁺ LAMP1⁻ compartment.