PDF icon Download PDF
Open Access
CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 · Thromb Haemost 2019; 119(02): 254-263
DOI: 10.1055/s-0038-1676802
Cellular Haemostasis and Platelets
Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York

Functional Validation of microRNA-126-3p as a Platelet Reactivity Regulator Using Human Haematopoietic Stem Cells

Alix Garcia
1   Geneva Platelet Group, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
,
Sylvie Dunoyer-Geindre
1   Geneva Platelet Group, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
,
Veronika Zapilko
1   Geneva Platelet Group, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
,
Séverine Nolli
1   Geneva Platelet Group, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
,
Jean-Luc Reny
1   Geneva Platelet Group, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
2   Division of General Internal Medicine, Geneva University Hospitals, Geneva, Switzerland
,
Pierre Fontana
1   Geneva Platelet Group, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
3   Division of Angiology and Haemostasis, Geneva University Hospitals, Geneva, Switzerland
› Author Affiliations
Funding This work was supported by the Swiss National Science Foundation (grant 310030_162567), the Novartis Foundation (grant 15B097) and the Swiss Heart Foundation.
Further Information

Publication History

07 June 2018

07 November 2018

Publication Date:
02 January 2019 (online)

  Permissions and Reprints
Preview

Abstract

Background Platelets are an abundant source of micro-ribonucleic acids (miRNAs) that may play a role in the regulation of platelet function. Some miRNAs, such as miR-126-3p, have been noted as potential biomarkers of platelet reactivity and the recurrence of cardiovascular events. However, the biological relevance of these associations remains uncertain, and the functional validation of candidate miRNAs on human-derived cells is lacking.

Objective This article functionally validates miR-126-3p as a regulator of platelet reactivity in platelet-like structures (PLS) derived from human haematopoietic stem cells.

Materials and Methods CD34+-derived megakaryocytes were transfected with miR-126-3p and differentiated in PLS. PLS reactivity was assessed using perfusion in a fibrinogen-coated flow chamber. miR-126-3p's selected gene targets were validated using quantitative polymerase chain reaction, protein quantification and a reporter gene assay.

Results CD34+-derived megakaryocytes transfected with miR-126-3p generated PLS exhibiting 156% more reactivity than the control. These functional data were in line with those obtained analysing CD62P expression. Moreover, miR-126-3p transfection was associated with the down-regulation of a disintegrin and metalloproteinase-9 (ADAM9) messenger RNA (mRNA), a validated target of miR-126-3p, and of Plexin B2 (PLXNB2) mRNA and protein, an actin dynamics regulator. Silencing PLXNB2 led to similar functional results to miR-126-3p transfection. Finally, using a reporter gene assay, we validated PLXNB2 as a direct target of miR-126-3p.

Conclusion We functionally validated miR-126-3p as a regulator of platelet reactivity in PLS derived from human haematopoietic stem cells. Moreover, PLXNB2 was validated as a new gene target of miR-126-3p in human cells, suggesting that miR-126-3p mediates its effect on platelets, at least in part, through actin dynamics regulation.

Keywords

microRNA - platelet - platelet function tests - flow-based assay - PLXNB2

Authors' Contributions

A. Garcia, S. Dunoyer-Geindre, J.-L. Reny and P. Fontana designed the study and analysed the data. A. Garcia, S. Dunoyer-Geindre, S. Nolli and V. Zapilko performed the experiments and analysed the data. A. Garcia, S. Dunoyer-Geindre and P. Fontana wrote the first draft of the manuscript, and all authors revised the intellectual content and approved the final version.


Supplementary Material