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Objective:  Integrins are key regulators of various platelet functions. The pathophysiological importance of most platelet integrins has been investigated, with the exception of α5β1, a receptor for fibronectin. The aim of this study was to characterize the role of α5β1 in megakaryopoiesis, platelet function, and to determine its importance in hemostasis and arterial thrombosis., Approach and Results:  We generated a mouse strain deficient for integrin α5β1 on megakaryocytes and platelets (PF4Cre-α5 -/- ). PF4Cre-α5 -/- mice were viable, fertile, and presented no apparent signs of abnormality. Megakaryopoiesis appears unaltered as evidence by a normal megakaryocyte morphology and development, which is in agreement with a normal platelet count. Expression of the main platelet receptors and the response of PF4Cre-α5 -/- platelets to a series of agonists were all completely normal. Adhesion and aggregation of PF4Cre-α5 -/- platelets under shear flow on fibrinogen, laminin, or von Willebrand factor were unimpaired. In contrast, PF4Cre-α5 -/- platelets displayed a marked decrease in adhesion, activation, and aggregation on fibrillar cellular fibronectin and collagen. PF4Cre-α5 -/- mice presented no defect in a tail-bleeding time assay and no increase in inflammatory bleeding in a reverse passive Arthus model and a lipopolysaccharide pulmonary inflammation model. Finally, no defects were observed in three distinct experimental models of arterial thrombosis based on ferric chloride-induced injury of the carotid artery, mechanical injury of the abdominal aorta, or laser-induced injury of mesenteric vessels., Conclusion:  In summary, this study shows that platelet integrin α5β1 is a key receptor for fibrillar cellular fibronectin but is dispensable in hemostasis and arterial thrombosis., Competing Interests: None declared., (The Author(s). This is an open access article published by Thieme under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonDerivative-NonCommercial License, permitting copying and reproduction so long as the original work is given appropriate credit. Contents may not be used for commercial purposes, or adapted, remixed, transformed or built upon. (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).)

The ability of cellular fibronectin, found in the vessel wall in a fibrillar conformation, to regulate platelet functions and trigger thrombus formation remains largely unknown. In this study, we evaluated how parietal cellular fibronectin can modulate platelet responses under flow conditions. A fibrillar network was formed by mechanically stretching immobilised dimeric cellular fibronectin. Perfusion of anticoagulated whole blood over this surface resulted in efficient platelet adhesion and thrombus growth. The initial steps of platelet adhesion and activation, as evidenced by filopodia extension and an increase in intracellular calcium levels (419 ± 29 nmol/l), were dependent on integrins α5β1 and αIIbβ3. Subsequent thrombus growth was mediated by these integrins together with the GPIb-V-IX complex, GPVI and Toll-like receptor 4. The involvement of Toll-like receptor 4 could be conveyed via its binding to the EDA region of cellular fibronectin. Upon thrombus formation, the platelets became procoagulant and generated fibrin as revealed by video-microscopy. This work provides evidence that fibrillar cellular fibronectin is a strong thrombogenic surface which supports efficient platelet adhesion, activation, aggregation and procoagulant activity through the interplay of a series of receptors including integrins α5β1 and αIIbβ3, the GPIb-V-IX complex, GPVI and Toll-like receptor 4.

β-arrestin-1 (β-arr1) and β-arrestin-2 (β-arr2) are cytosolic proteins well-known to participate in G protein-coupled receptor desensitisation and signalling. We used genetically-inactivated mice to evaluate the role of β-arr1 or β-arr2 in platelet function, P2Y receptor desensitisation, haemostasis and thrombosis. Platelet aggregation, soluble fibrinogen binding and P-selectin exposure induced by various agonists were near normal in β-arr1-/- and β-arr2-/- platelets. In addition, deficiency in β-arr1 or β-arr2 was not critical for P2Y receptors desensitisation. A functional redundancy between β-arr1 and β-arr2 may explain these unchanged platelet responses. Interestingly, β-arr1-/- but not β-arr2-/- mice were protected against laser- and FeCl3-induced thrombosis. The tail bleeding times, number of rebleeds and volume of blood loss were unchanged in β-arr1-/- and β-arr2-/- mice, suggesting no defect in haemostasis. β-arr1-/- platelet activation upon adhesion to immobilised fibrinogen was inhibited, as attested by a 37 ± 5% (n = 3, p<0.0001) decrease in filopodia extension, suggesting defective signalling through integrin αIIbβ3. β-arr1 appeared to be located downstream of Src family kinases and to regulate αIIbβ3 signalling by increasing Akt phosphorylation. Overall, this study supports a role for β-arr1 in promoting thrombus formation, in part through its participation in αIIbβ3 signalling, and no role of β-arr1 and β-arr2 in agonist-induced platelet activation and P2Y receptors desensitisation.