TY - JOUR
T1 - Roll, adhere, spread and contract
T2 - Structural mechanics of platelet function
AU - Sorrentino, Simona
AU - Studt, Jan Dirk
AU - Medalia, Ohad
AU - Tanuj Sapra, K.
N1 - Funding Information:
O.M. was supported by an ERC starting grant ( 243047 INCEL). K.T.S. acknowledges Forschungskredit, University of Zurich , for a postdoctoral fellowship.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2015 Elsevier GmbH.
PY - 2015/3/1
Y1 - 2015/3/1
N2 - Platelets are involved in life-sustaining processes such as hemostasis, wound healing, atherothrombosis and angiogenesis. Mechanical trauma to blood vessels causes platelet activation resulting in their adherence and clot formation at the damaged site, culminating in clot retraction and tissue repair. Two of the major players underlying this process are the cytoskeleton, i.e., actin and microtubules, and the membrane integrin receptors. Rare congenital bleeding disorders such as Glanzmann thrombasthenia and Bernard-Soulier syndrome are associated with genetic alterations of platelet surface receptors, also affecting the platelet cytoskeletal structure. In this review, we summarize the current knowledge about platelet structure and adhesion, and delve into the mechanical aspects of platelet function. Platelets lack a nucleus, and can thus provide a minimal model of a biological cell. New biophysical tools may help to scrutinize platelets anew and to extend the existing knowledge on cell biology.
AB - Platelets are involved in life-sustaining processes such as hemostasis, wound healing, atherothrombosis and angiogenesis. Mechanical trauma to blood vessels causes platelet activation resulting in their adherence and clot formation at the damaged site, culminating in clot retraction and tissue repair. Two of the major players underlying this process are the cytoskeleton, i.e., actin and microtubules, and the membrane integrin receptors. Rare congenital bleeding disorders such as Glanzmann thrombasthenia and Bernard-Soulier syndrome are associated with genetic alterations of platelet surface receptors, also affecting the platelet cytoskeletal structure. In this review, we summarize the current knowledge about platelet structure and adhesion, and delve into the mechanical aspects of platelet function. Platelets lack a nucleus, and can thus provide a minimal model of a biological cell. New biophysical tools may help to scrutinize platelets anew and to extend the existing knowledge on cell biology.
KW - 3D structure
KW - Atomic force microscopy
KW - Cryo-electron tomography
KW - Integrins
KW - Macromolecular organization
KW - Nanomechanics
KW - Platelets
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84977784313&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.ejcb.2015.01.001
DO - 10.1016/j.ejcb.2015.01.001
M3 - Short survey
AN - SCOPUS:84977784313
SN - 0171-9335
VL - 94
SP - 129
EP - 138
JO - European Journal of Cell Biology
JF - European Journal of Cell Biology
IS - 3-4
ER -