Establishment of a Bernard-Soulier syndrome model in zebrafish

Haematologica. 2022 Jul 1;107(7):1655-1668. doi: 10.3324/haematol.2021.278893.

Abstract

Platelets play an essential role in thrombosis and hemostasis. Abnormal hemostasis can cause spontaneous or severe post-traumatic bleeding. Bernard-Soulier syndrome (BSS) is a rare inherited bleeding disorder caused by a complete quantitative deficiency in the GPIb-IX-V complex. Multiple mutations in GP9 lead to the clinical manifestations of BSS. Understanding the roles and underlying mechanisms of GP9 in thrombopoiesis and establishing a proper animal model of BSS would be valuable to understand the disease pathogenesis and to improve its medical management. Here, by using CRISPR-Cas9 technology, we created a zebrafish gp9SMU15 mutant to model human BSS. Disruption of zebrafish gp9 led to thrombocytopenia and a pronounced bleeding tendency, as well as an abnormal expansion of progenitor cells. The gp9SMU15 zebrafish can be used as a BSS animal model as the roles of GP9 in thrombocytopoiesis are highly conserved from zebrafish to mammals. Utilizing the BSS model, we verified the clinical GP9 mutations by in vivo functional assay and tested clinical drugs for their ability to increase platelets. Thus, the inherited BSS zebrafish model could be of benefit for in vivo verification of patient-derived GP9 variants of uncertain significance and for the development of potential therapeutic strategies for BSS.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Bernard-Soulier Syndrome* / genetics
  • Blood Platelets / pathology
  • Mammals
  • Mutation
  • Platelet Glycoprotein GPIb-IX Complex / genetics
  • Zebrafish / genetics

Substances

  • Platelet Glycoprotein GPIb-IX Complex

Grants and funding

Funding: This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (81870100 and 31871475), the National Key R&D Program of China (2018YFA0800200), Guangdong Province Universities and Colleges Pearl River Scholar Funded Scheme (2019), and Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities (2019ZD54 and 2018MS69).