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Morphogenesis of Platelets in the Circulation

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Molecular and Cellular Biology of Platelet Formation

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Abstract

Platelets are defined as terminally differentiated cells incapable of more complex cell processes like cell division or fission processes. Therefore, megakaryocytes are viewed as the only parent cell producing mature platelets. Nevertheless, the cellular fragments, termed proplatelet extension, released by the megakaryocytes exceed platelet dimension, leaving the question if further maturation of platelets in the blood stream is a potential concept of platelet formation. In this chapter we will review established and emerging findings relevant to platelet morphogenesis in the circulation. Furthermore, some of the known regulatory mechanisms involved will be discussed and useful methods and tool to study platelet morphogenesis will be highlighted.

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Acknowledgments

We thank Ms. Diana Lim for her excellent figure preparation and Dr. Guy Zimmerman for his thoughtful suggestions and insights. We appreciate Ms. Nancy Chandler’s assistance with preparing SEM images and we thank Dr. Walter H. Kahr for his collaboration with TEM pictures. This work was supported by the NIH (HL126547 and HL112311) and the NIA (AG048022). Dr. Hansjörg Schwertz was supported by a Lichtenberg-Professorship from the Volkswagen Foundation.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Molecular Medicine Program, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA

    Matthew T. Rondina & Hansjörg Schwertz MD/PhD

  2. Department of Internal Medicine, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA

    Matthew T. Rondina

  3. Department of Internal Medicine, George E. Wahlen Salt Lake City VAMC, Salt Lake City, UT, USA

    Matthew T. Rondina

  4. Department of Surgery, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA

    Hansjörg Schwertz MD/PhD

  5. Department of Immunology and Transfusion Medicine, University of Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany

    Hansjörg Schwertz MD/PhD

  6. Lichtenberg-Professor for Experimental Hemostasis, University of Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany

    Hansjörg Schwertz MD/PhD

  7. Department of Immunology and Transfusion Medicine, University of Greifswald, Sauerbruchstr, Greifswald, 17475, Germany

    Hansjörg Schwertz MD/PhD

  8. Division of Vascular Surgery, Program in Molecular Medicine, University of Utah, 15 North 2030 East, Bldg. 533, Rm. 4225, Salt Lake City, UT, 84112, USA

    Hansjörg Schwertz MD/PhD

Authors
  1. Matthew T. Rondina
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  2. Hansjörg Schwertz MD/PhD
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Hansjörg Schwertz MD/PhD .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Experimental Biomedicine I, University Hospital Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany

    Harald Schulze

  2. Vascular Biology Programm, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA

    Joseph Italiano

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Rondina, M.T., Schwertz, H. (2016). Morphogenesis of Platelets in the Circulation. In: Schulze, H., Italiano, J. (eds) Molecular and Cellular Biology of Platelet Formation. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-39562-3_5

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