Improved platelet survival after cold storage by prevention of glycoprotein Ibα clustering in lipid rafts.

Background: Storing platelets for transfusion at room temperature increases the risk of microbial infection and decreases platelet functionality, leading to out-date discard rates of up to 20%. Cold storage may be a better alternative, but this treatment leads to rapid platelet clearance after transfusion, initiated by changes in glycoprotein Ibα, the receptor for von Willebrand factor.

Design And Methods: We examined the change in glycoprotein Ibα distribution using Förster resonance energy transfer by time-gated fluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy.

Results: Cold storage induced deglycosylation of glycoprotein Ibα ectodomain, exposing N-acetyl-D-glucosamine residues, which sequestered with GM1 gangliosides in lipid rafts. Raft-associated glycoprotein Ibα formed clusters upon binding of 14-3-3ζ adaptor proteins to its cytoplasmic tail, a process accompanied by mitochondrial injury and phosphatidyl serine exposure. Cold storage left glycoprotein Ibα surface expression unchanged and although glycoprotein V decreased, the fall did not affect glycoprotein Ibα clustering. Prevention of glycoprotein Ibα clustering by blockade of deglycosylation and 14-3-3ζ translocation increased the survival of cold-stored platelets to above the levels of platelets stored at room temperature without compromising hemostatic functions.

Conclusions: We conclude that glycoprotein Ibα translocates to lipid rafts upon cold-induced deglycosylation and forms clusters by associating with 14-3-3ζ. Interference with these steps provides a means to enable cold storage of platelet concentrates in the near future.