Linear podosomes display low Cdc42 activity for proplatelet elongation by megakaryocytes

Blood platelets result from differentiation of megakaryocytes (MKs) into the bone marrow. It culminates with the extension of proplatelets (PPT) through medullar sinusoids and release of platelets in the blood stream. Those processes are regulated by contact with the microenvironment mediated by podosomes. We previously demonstrated that contact of megakaryocytes to Collagen I fibers initiated the formation of linear podosomes required for proplatelets extension and release of mature platelets. MKs linear podosomes have the particularity of displaying mechanical pulling activity but, unlike other linear podosomes, they lack the ability of digesting the extracellular matrix (ECM), as we recently demonstrated. The Cdc42 small GTPase is required for actomyosin-dependent maturation of the demarcation membrane system (DMS), a membrane reservoir for PPT and platelets components. Cdc42 is a known protein of the podosomes core, and is instrumental to accurate platelets release into the sinusoids. Indeed, FRET analysis showed that Cdc42 activity was very high and central to DMS formation. Unexpectedly, even though we found the protein in linear podosomes, almost undetectable Cdc42 activity was detected in those structures. This observation suggests that Cdc42 could also act as scaffold to assemble proteins required for PPT formation/elongation along Collagen I fibers in MKs. Eventually, we demonstrated that linear podosomes appear as points of contact between Collagen I fibers and DMS membranes, to mechanically extend PPT along Collagen bundles, independently of Cdc42 activity.