A product of their environment: do megakaryocytes rely on extracellular cues for proplatelet formation?

Abstract

Megakaryocytes have long been observed to form abundant filamentous extensions called proplatelets. A strong body of evidence strongly suggests these proplatelets are the mechanism by which platelets are released into the vasculature. Despite the recent advances in understanding proplatelet architecture, surprisingly little attention has been paid to identifying the ways in which the bone marrow environment regulates proplatelet formation. This review summarises this field and how these findings suggest a spatial and temporal regulation to ensure that platelets are produced in the correct location.