Combining human platelet proteomes and transcriptomes: possibilities and challenges

• Published in: Platelets
• Main Authors: Jingnan Huang, Johan W.M. Heemskerk, Frauke Swieringa
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Taylor & Francis Group 2023-12-01
• Subjects: hemostasis; megakaryocytes; platelets; proteome; quantitative proteome; quantitative transcriptome
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/09537104.2023.2224454

The anucleate human platelets contain a broad pattern of mRNAs and other RNA transcripts. The high quantitative similarity of mRNAs in megakaryocytes and platelets from different sources points to a common origin, and suggests a random redistribution of mRNA species upon proplatelet formation. A comparison of the classified platelet transcriptome (17.6k transcripts) with the identified platelet proteome (5.2k proteins) indicates an under-representation of: (i) nuclear but not of other organellar proteins; (ii) membrane receptors and channels with low transcript levels; (iii) transcription/translation proteins; and (iv) so far uncharacterized proteins. In this review, we discuss the technical, normalization and database-dependent possibilities and challenges to come to a complete, genome-wide platelet transcriptome and proteome. Such a reference transcriptome and proteome can serve to further elucidate intra-subject and inter-subject differences in platelets in health and disease. Applications may also lay in the aid of genetic diagnostics.