Cells release extracellular vesicles (EVs) from their surface, but the mechanisms that govern EV release by plasma membrane budding are poorly understood. The lipid flippase TAT-5 inhibits EV release from the plasma membrane in
C. elegans
, but how the level of flippase activity regulates EV release was unknown. We generated point mutations in the DGET motif of TAT-5 predicted to lead to a partial or complete loss of ATPase activity. We discovered that
tat-5(E246Q)
mutants were sterile, while
tat-5(D244T)
mutants produced embryos that arrested during development. Using degron-based reporters, we found that EV release was increased in
tat-5(D244T)
mutant embryos and that phagocytosis was also disrupted. These data suggest that a low level of flippase activity can promote fertility, while a higher level of flippase activity is required to inhibit EV release, allow phagocytosis, and carry out embryonic development.
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