A genetic modifier of venous thrombosis in zebrafish reveals a functional role for fibrinogen AαE in early hemostasis

Plasma fibrinogen molecules comprise 2 copies of Aα, Bβ, and γ chains folded into a hexameric protein. A minor fibrinogen isoform with an extended Aα chain (AαE) is more abundant in newborn human blood than in adults. Larval zebrafish produce predominantly AαE-containing fibrinogen, but its functional significance is unclear. In 3-day-old zebrafish, when hemostasis is reliant on fibrinogen and erythrocyte-rich clotting but is largely thrombocyte-independent, we measured the time to occlusion (TTO) in a laser-induced venous thrombosis assay in 3 zebrafish strains (AB, TU, and AB × TL hybrids). AB larvae showed delayed TTO compared with the TU and AB × TL strains. Mating AB with TU or TL produced larvae with a TU-like TTO. In contrast to TU, AB larvae failed to produce fibrinogen AαE, due to a mutation in the AαE-specific coding region of fibrinogen α-chain gene (fga). We investigated whether the lack of AαE explained the delayed AB TTO. Transgenic expression of AαE, but not Aα, shortened the AB TTO to that of TU. AαE rescued venous occlusion in fibrinogen mutants or larvae with morpholino-targeted fibrinogen α-chain messenger RNA, but Aα was less effective. In 5-day-old larvae, circulating thrombocytes contribute to hemostasis, as visualized in Tg(itga2b:EGFP) transgenics. Laser-induced venous thrombocyte adhesion and aggregation is reduced in fibrinogen mutants, but transgenic expression of Aα or AαE restored similar thrombocyte accumulation at the injury site. Our data demonstrate a genetic modifier of venous thrombosis and a role for fibrinogen AαE in early developmental blood coagulation, and suggest a link between differentially expressed fibrinogen isoforms and the cell types available for clotting.