Abstract
Despite the absence of the genome in platelets, transcription profiling provides important
insights into platelet function and can help clarify abnormalities in platelet disorders.
The Bloodomics Consortium performed whole-genome expression analysis comparing in
vitro–differentiated megakaryocytes (MKs) with in vitro–differentiated erythroblasts
and different blood cell types. This allowed the identification of genes with upregulated
expression in MKs compared with all other cell lineages, among the receptors BAMBI,
LRRC32, ESAM, and DCBLD2. In a later correlative analysis of genome-wide platelet
RNA expression with interindividual human platelet reactivity, LLRFIP and COMMD7 were
additionally identified. A functional genomics approach using morpholino-based silencing
in zebrafish identified various roles for all of these selected genes in thrombus
formation. In this review, we summarize the role of the six identified genes in zebrafish
and discuss how they correlate with subsequently performed mouse experiments.
Keywords
knockout mice - hemostasis - megakaryocytes - thrombosis - transgenic mice
