Autophagy is induced upon platelet activation and is essential for hemostasis and thrombosis

Abstract

Key Points• Autophagy, an essential degradation pathway, is constitutively active in resting platelets and is induced upon platelet activation.• Platelet autophagy is indispensable for hemostasis and thrombus formation.Autophagy is important for maintaining cellular homeostasis, and thus its deficiency is implicated in a broad spectrum of human diseases. Its role in platelet function has only recently been examined. Our biochemical and imaging studies demonstrate that the core autophagy machinery exists in platelets, and that autophagy is constitutively active in resting platelets. Moreover, autophagy is induced upon platelet activation, as indicated by agonist-induced loss of the autophagy marker LC3II. Additional experiments, using inhibitors of platelet activation, proteases, and lysosomal acidification, as well as platelets from knockout mouse strains, show that agonist-induced LC3II loss is a consequence of platelet signaling cascades and requires proteases, acidic compartments, and membrane fusion. To assess the physiological role of platelet autophagy, we generated a mouse strain with a megakaryocyte-and platelet-specific deletion of Atg7, an enzyme required for LC3II production. Ex vivo analysis of platelets from these mice shows modest defects in aggregation and granule cargo packaging. Although these mice have normal platelet numbers and size distributions, they exhibit a robust bleeding diathesis in the tail-bleeding assay and a prolonged occlusion time in the FeCl 3 -induced carotid injury model. Our results demonstrate that autophagy occurs in platelets and is important for hemostasis and thrombosis. (Blood. 2015;126(10):1224-1233 Introduction Autophagy, one of the major degradation pathways in eukaryotes, is important for cellular homeostasis and is implicated in a broad spectrum of human diseases including cancer, neurodegeneration, and cardiovascular diseases.1 There are 3 main types: chaperone-mediated autophagy, 2 microautophagy, 3,4 and the primary form, macroautophagy (referred to hereafter as autophagy).5 Autophagy involves de novo synthesis of double-membraned organelles called autophagosomes that contain cytosolic constituents including damaged organelles (eg, mitochondria) and protein aggregates. Autophagosomes fuse with multivesicular bodies, late endosomes, and lysosomes to form autolysosomes, 6 in which waste elimination, energy production, and recycling of cellular components take place.Autophagosome biogenesis and maturation use several protein complexes. [7][8][9][10] In mammals, cellular signals (eg, starvation) activate the Ulk1 complex (Ulk1, FIP200, Atg13, and Atg101), 11-14 which together with syntaxin 17, 15 localizes Atg14/Atg14L [16][17][18][19] to the endoplasmic reticulum. 15,20 This recruits the Beclin 1-Vps34 core complex (Beclin 1, Vps34, and Vps15) to autophagosome initiation sites and promotes phosphatidylinositol 3-phosphate production for recruitment of additional autophagy pathway components.20,21 Two ubiquitin-like conjugation systems are also important for autoph...

ROS Promote Ox-LDL-Induced Platelet Activation by Up-Regulating Autophagy Through the Inhibition of the PI3K/AKT/mTOR Pathway

“…Autophagosome formation, increased levels of LC3II/LC3I and Beclin1, and decreased levels of p62 were also simultaneously observed in ox-LDL-treated platelets, implying that activated platelets underwent autophagy, consistent with the results from a previous study [15]. Generally, ROS production may induce autophagy to overcome oxidative stress [46,47] by specifically inactivating Atg4 to cause the accumulation of LC3II and increase the formation of autophagosomes [48].…”

Metformin Uniquely Prevents Thrombosis by Inhibiting Platelet Activation and mtDNA Release

“…Samples were then dipped in 100% EtOH for 40 and 10 min respectively, and air-dried overnight. Samples were then coated with palladium and observed with a JEOL 6360LV transmission electron microscope (Tokyo, Japan)182748.…”

Arf6 controls platelet spreading and clot retraction via integrin αIIbβ3 trafficking

“…Platelet exocytosis and autophagy are critical for hemostasis. [1][2][3][4] Platelet endocytosis is important for granule cargo loading. Platelets selectively take up certain cargo (ie, fibrinogen [Fg] and vascular endothelial growth factor) from plasma and package it into a-granules.…”