@article{NieswandtMorowskiBrachsetal.2014,
  author    = {Nieswandt, Bernhard and Morowski, Martina and Brachs, Sebastian and Mielenz, Dirk and D{\"u}tting, Sebastian},
  title     = {The Adaptor Protein Swiprosin-1/EFhd2 Is Dispensable for Platelet Function in Mice},
  doi       = {10.1371/journal.pone.0107139},
  url       = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-113316},
  year      = {2014},
  abstract  = {Background Platelets are anuclear cell fragments derived from bone marrow megakaryocytes that safeguard vascular integrity, but may also cause pathological vessel occlusion. Reorganizations of the platelet cytoskeleton and agonist-induced intracellular Ca2+-mobilization are crucial for platelet hemostatic function. EF-hand domain containing 2 (EFhd2, Swiprosin-1) is a Ca2+-binding cytoskeletal adaptor protein involved in actin remodeling in different cell types, but its function in platelets is unknown. Objective Based on the described functions of EFhd2 in immune cells, we tested the hypothesis that EFhd2 is a crucial adaptor protein for platelet function acting as a regulator of Ca2+-mobilization and cytoskeletal rearrangements. Methods and Results We generated EFhd2-deficient mice and analyzed their platelets in vitro and in vivo. Efhd2-/- mice displayed normal platelet count and size, exhibited an unaltered in vivo life span and showed normal Ca2+-mobilization and activation/aggregation responses to classic agonists. Interestingly, upon stimulation of the immunoreceptor tyrosine-based activation motif-coupled receptor glycoprotein (GP) VI, Efhd2-/- platelets showed a slightly increased coagulant activity. Furthermore, absence of EFhd2 had no significant impact on integrin-mediated clot retraction, actomyosin rearrangements and spreading of activated platelets on fibrinogen. In vivo EFhd2-deficiency resulted in unaltered hemostatic function and unaffected arterial thrombus formation. Conclusion These results show that EFhd2 is not essential for platelet function in mice indicating that other cytoskeletal adaptors may functionally compensate its loss.},
  language  = {en}
}
@article{HofmannBraunPozgajetal.2014,
  author    = {Hofmann, Sebastian and Braun, Attila and Pozgaj, Rastislav and Morowski, Martina and V{\"o}gtle, Timo and Nieswandt, Bernhard},
  title     = {Mice lacking the SLAM family member CD84 display unaltered platelet function in hemostasis and thrombosis},
  series = {PLoS One},
  volume    = {9},
  journal   = {PLoS One},
  number    = {12},
  doi       = {10.1371/journal.pone.0115306},
  url       = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-126477},
  pages     = {e115306},
  year      = {2014},
  abstract  = {Background Platelets are anuclear cell fragments derived from bone marrow megakaryocytes that safeguard vascular integrity by forming thrombi at sites of vascular injury. Although the early events of thrombus formation—platelet adhesion and aggregation—have been intensively studied, less is known about the mechanisms and receptors that stabilize platelet-platelet interactions once a thrombus has formed. One receptor that has been implicated in this process is the signaling lymphocyte activation molecule (SLAM) family member CD84, which can undergo homophilic interactions and becomes phosphorylated upon platelet aggregation. Objective The role of CD84 in platelet physiology and thrombus formation was investigated in CD84-deficient mice. Methods and Results We generated CD84-deficient mice and analyzed their platelets in vitro and in vivo. \(Cd84^{-/-}\) platelets exhibited normal activation and aggregation responses to classical platelet agonists. Furthermore, CD84 deficiency did not affect integrin-mediated clot retraction and spreading of activated platelets on fibrinogen. Notably, also the formation of stable three-dimensional thrombi on collagen-coated surfaces under flow ex vivo was unaltered in the blood of \(Cd84^{-/-}\) mice. In vivo, \(Cd84^{-/-}\) mice exhibited unaltered hemostatic function and arterial thrombus formation. Conclusion These results show that CD84 is dispensable for thrombus formation and stabilization, indicating that its deficiency may be functionally compensated by other receptors or that it may be important for platelet functions different from platelet-platelet interactions.},
  language  = {en}
}