Journal
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
Volume 22, Issue 17, Pages -Publisher
MDPI
DOI: 10.3390/ijms22179363
Keywords
actin cytoskeleton; actinin; actinin-1; actinin-4; ACTN1; platelets; congenital macrothrombocytopenia; macrothrombocytopenia; CMTP; megakaryocytes
Funding
- Translational Research Access Programme (TRAP) grant from the College of Medicine and Health, University College Cork
- Government of Ireland Postgraduate Scholarship from the Irish Research Council [GOIPG/2017/952]
- Irish Research Council (IRC) [GOIPG/2017/952] Funding Source: Irish Research Council (IRC)
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The actin cytoskeleton is crucial in platelet formation and function, with mutations in ACTN1/actinin-1 causing congenital macrothrombocytopenia (CMTP). Apart from their known role in platelet activation, actinins may have novel functions in platelet formation and maturation. Studies on the effects of CMTP-linked mutations on actinin-1 function and how they lead to changes in platelet count and morphology in patients have provided new insights.
The actin cytoskeleton plays a central role in platelet formation and function. Alpha-actinins (actinins) are actin filament crosslinking proteins that are prominently expressed in platelets and have been studied in relation to their role in platelet activation since the 1970s. However, within the past decade, several groups have described mutations in ACTN1/actinin-1 that cause congenital macrothrombocytopenia (CMTP)-accounting for approximately 5% of all cases of this condition. These findings are suggestive of potentially novel functions for actinins in platelet formation from megakaryocytes in the bone marrow and/or platelet maturation in circulation. Here, we review some recent insights into the well-known functions of actinins in platelet activation before considering possible roles for actinins in platelet formation that could explain their association with CMTP. We describe what is known about the consequences of CMTP-linked mutations on actinin-1 function at a molecular and cellular level and speculate how these changes might lead to the alterations in platelet count and morphology observed in CMTP patients. Finally, we outline some unanswered questions in this area and how they might be addressed in future studies.
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