| Abstract |
Endothelial cells (ECs) provide a barrier between blood and the underlying tissue. Upon stimulation, specific storage organelles, designated Weibel-Palade bodies (WPBs), fuse with the plasmamembrane and release various components into the bloodstream. The main component of WPBs is von Willebrand factor (VWF), a multimeric glycoprotein which upon its release by endothelial cells is converted into ultra large VWF strings that capture blood platelets. In this thesis we aim to further unravel the biogenesis and functional significance of VWF strings.
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