Platelet biogenesis and functions require correct protein O-glycosylation

Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2012 Oct 2;109(40):16143-8. doi: 10.1073/pnas.1208253109. Epub 2012 Sep 17.

Abstract

Platelets express a variety of membrane and secreted glycoproteins, but the importance of glycosylation to platelet functions is poorly understood. To explore the importance of O-glycosylation, we generated mice with a targeted deletion of Cosmc in murine endothelial/hematopoietic cells (EHC) (EHC Cosmc(-/y)). X-linked Cosmc encodes an essential chaperone that regulates protein O-glycosylation. This targeted mutation resulted in lethal perinatal hemorrhage in the majority of mice, and the surviving mice displayed severely prolonged tail-bleeding times and macrothrombocytopenia. EHC Cosmc(-/y) platelets exhibited a marked decrease in GPIb-IX-V function and agonist-mediated integrin αIIbβ3 activation, associated with loss of interactions with von Willebrand factor and fibrinogen, respectively. Significantly, three O-glycosylated glycoproteins, GPIbα, αIIb, and GPVI normally on platelet surfaces that play essential roles in platelet functions, were partially proteolyzed in EHC Cosmc(-/y) platelets. These results demonstrate that extended O-glycans are required for normal biogenesis of the platelets as well as the expression and functions of their essential glycoproteins, and that variations in O-glycosylation may contribute to altered hemostasis.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Bleeding Time
  • Blood Platelets / physiology*
  • Flow Cytometry
  • Glycoproteins / metabolism*
  • Glycosylation
  • Hemangioblasts
  • Immunoblotting
  • Immunoprecipitation
  • Mice
  • Mice, Transgenic
  • Molecular Chaperones / genetics*
  • Molecular Chaperones / metabolism
  • Polysaccharides / metabolism*
  • Thrombocytopenia / genetics*

Substances

  • Cosmc protein, mouse
  • Glycoproteins
  • Molecular Chaperones
  • Polysaccharides