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Existence of a microRNA pathway in anucleate platelets

2009; Nature Portfolio; Volume: 16; Issue: 9 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1038/nsmb.1651

1545-9993

Patricia Landry, Isabelle Plante, Dominique L. Ouellet, Marjorie Perron, Guy Rousseau, Patrick Provost,

Cancer-related molecular mechanisms research

Platelets have a crucial role in the maintenance of hemostasis as well as in thrombosis and vessel occlusion, which underlie stroke and acute coronary syndromes. Anucleate platelets contain mRNAs and are capable of protein synthesis, raising the issue of how these mRNAs are regulated. Here we show that human platelets harbor an abundant and diverse array of microRNAs (miRNAs), which are known as key regulators of mRNA translation in other cell types. Further analyses revealed that platelets contain the Dicer and Argonaute 2 (Ago2) complexes, which function in the processing of exogenous miRNA precursors and the control of specific reporter transcripts, respectively. Detection of the receptor P2Y12 mRNA in Ago2 immunoprecipitates suggests that P2Y12 expression may be subjected to miRNA control in human platelets. Our study lends an additional level of complexity to the control of gene expression in these anucleate elements of the cardiovascular system. Platelets are anucleate elements in the cardiovascular system involved in clotting. Platelets are now found to contain microRNAs and the key cytoplasmic elements of a processing and effector pathway, suggesting that platelet mRNAs may be subjected to microRNA regulation.