Biomedical subjects
Publications and source records attributed to K J Clemetson.
Platelet aggregation to form a haemostatic plug, or thrombus, plays a key role in preventing bleeding from a wound. Recent studies have provided new insights into how platelet receptors are deployed during the interactions with the vascular subendothelial matrix that lead to haemostatic plug formation.
Collagen is a major component of extracellular matrix and a wide variety of types exist. Cells recognise collagen in different ways depending on sequence and structure. They can recognise predominantly primary sequence, they may require triple-helical structure or they can require fibrillar structures. Since collagens are major constituents of the subendothelium that determine the thrombogenicity of the injured or pathological vessel wall, a major role is induction of platelet activation and aggregation as the start of repair processes. Platelets have at least two direct and one indirect (via von Willebrand factor) receptors for collagen, and collagen has specific recognition motifs for these receptors. These receptors and recognition motifs are under intensive investigation in the search for possible methods to control platelet activation in vivo. A wide range of proteins has been identified and, in part, characterised from both haematophageous insects and invertebrates but also from snake venoms that inhibit platelet activation by collagen or induce platelet activation via collagen receptors on platelets. These will provide model systems to test the effect of inhibition of specific collagen-platelet receptor interactions for both effectiveness as well as for side effects and should provide assay systems for the development of small molecule inhibitors. Since platelet inhibitors for long-term prophylaxis of cardiovascular diseases are still in clinical trials there are many unanswered questions about long-term effects both positive and negative. The major problem which still has to be definitively solved about these alternative approaches to inhibition of platelet activation is whether they will show advantages in terms of dose-response curves while offering decreased risks of bleeding problems. Preliminary studies would seem to suggest that this is indeed the case.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Glanzmann's thrombasthenia (GT) arises from a qualitative or quantitative defect in the GPIIb-IIIa complex (integrin alphaIIbbeta3), the mediator of platelet aggregation. We describe a patient in whom clinical and laboratory findings typical of type I GT were found together with a second pathology involving neurological and other complications symptomatic of tuberous sclerosis. Analysis of platelet proteins by Western blotting revealed trace amounts of normally migrating GPIIb and equally small amounts of GPIIIa of slightly slower than normal migration. Flow cytometry confirmed a much decreased binding to platelets of monoclonal antibodies to GPIIb, GPIIIa or GPIIb-IIIa, and an antibody to the alphav subunit also showed decreased binding. Nonradioactive PCR single-strand conformation polymorphism analysis followed by direct sequencing of PCR-amplified DNA fragments showed a homozygous point mutation (T to C) at nucleotide 1722 of GPIIIa cDNA and which led to a Cys542-->Arg substitution in the GPIIIa protein. The mutation gave rise to a HinP1 I restriction site in exon 11 of the GPIIIa gene and allele-specific restriction enzyme analysis of family members confirmed that a single mutated allele was inherited from each parent. This amino acid substitution presumably changes the capacity for disulphide bond formation within the cysteine-rich core region of GPIIIa and its study will provide new information on GPIIb-IIIa and alphavbeta3 structure and biosynthesis.
Simple collagen-related peptides (CRPs) containing a repeat Gly-Pro-Hyp sequence are highly potent platelet agonists. Like collagen, they must exhibit tertiary (triple-helical) and quaternary (polymeric) structure to activate platelets. Platelet signaling events induced by the peptides are the same as most of those induced by collagen. The peptides do not recognize the alpha 2 beta 1 integrin. To identify the signaling receptor involved, we have evaluated the response to the CRP, Gly-Lys-Hyp(Gly-Pro-Hyp)10-Gly-Lys-Hyp-Gly of platelets with defined functional deficiencies. These studies exclude a primary recognition role for CD36, von Willebrand factor (vWF), or glycoprotein (GP) IIb/IIIa. Thus, both CD36 and vWF-deficient platelets exhibited normal aggregation, normal fibrinogen binding, and normal expression of CD62 and CD63, measured by flow cytometry, in response to the peptide, and there was normal expression of CD62 and CD63 on thrombasthenic platelets. In contrast, GPVI-deficient platelets were totally unresponsive to the peptide, indicating that this receptor recognizes the Gly-Pro-Hyp sequence in collagen. GPVI-deficient platelets showed some fibrinogen binding in response to collagen but failed to aggregate and to express CD62 and CD63. Collagen, but not CRP-XL, contains binding sites for alpha 2 beta 1. Therefore, it is possible that collagen still induces some signaling via alpha 2 beta 1, leading to activation of GPIIb/IIIa. Our findings are consistent with a two-site, two-step model of collagen interaction with platelets involving recognition of specific sequences in collagen by an adhesive receptor such as alpha 2 beta 1 to arrest platelets under flow and subsequent recognition of another specific collagen sequence by an activatory receptor, namely GPVI.
The molecular basis for heparin-induced thrombocytopenia (HIT), a relatively common complication of heparin therapy, is not yet fully understood. We found that pretreatment of platelets with AR-C66096 (formerly FPL 66096), a specific platelet adenosine diphosphate (ADP) receptor antagonist, at a concentration of 100 to 200 nmol/L that blocked ADP-dependent platelet aggregation, resulted in complete loss of platelet aggregation responses to HIT sera. AR-C66096 also totally inhibited HIT serum-induced dense granule release, as judged by measurement of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) release. Apyrase, added to platelets at a concentration that had only minor effects on thrombin- or arachidonic acid-induced aggregation, also blocked completely HIT serum-induced platelet aggregation. Furthermore, AR-C66096 inhibited platelet aggregation and ATP release induced by cross-linking Fc gamma RIIA with specific antibodies. These data show that released ADP and the platelet ADP receptor play a pivotal role in HIT serum-induced platelet activation/aggregation. The thromboxane receptor inhibitor, Daltroban, had no effect on HIT serum-induced platelet activation whereas GPIIb-IIIa antagonists blocked platelet aggregation but had only a moderate effect on HIT serum-induced dense granule release. Pretreatment of platelets with chondroitinases but not with heparinases resulted in concentration dependent inhibition of HIT serum-induced platelet aggregation. These novel data relating to the mechanism of platelet activation induced by HIT sera suggest that the possibility should be examined that ADP receptor antagonists or compounds that inhibit ADP release may be effective as therapeutic agents for the prevention or treatment of complications associated with heparin therapy.
Cardiovascular diseases involve abnormal cell-cell interactions leading to the development of atherosclerotic plaque, which when ruptured causes massive platelet activation and thrombus formation. Parts of a loose thrombus may detach to form an embolus, blocking circulation at a more distant point. The integrins are a family of adhesive cell receptors interacting with adhesive proteins or with counterreceptors on other cells. There is now solid evidence that the major integrin on platelets, the fibrinogen receptor alpha IIb beta 3, has an important role in several aspects of cardiovascular diseases and that its regulated inhibition leads to a reduction in incidence and mortality due to these disorders. The development of alpha IIb beta 3 inhibitors is an important strategy of many pharmaceutical companies which foresee a large market for the treatment of acute conditions in surgery, the symptoms of chronic conditions and, it is hoped, maybe even the successful prophylaxis of these conditions. Although all the associated problems have not been solved, the undoubted improvements in patient care resulting from the first of these treatments in the clinic have stimulated further research on the role of integrins on other vascular cells in these processes and in the search for new inhibitors. Both the development of specific inhibitors and of mice with specific integrin subunit genes ablated have contributed to a better understanding of the function of integrins in development of the cardiovascular system.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Glycoprotein Ia* (GPIa*), a very high molecular mass, platelet alpha-granule protein consisting of 167 kDa subunits disulphide-linked in a multimeric structure, was first described by Bienz and Clemetson in 1989 (J. Biol. Chem. 264, 507-514). In 1991 Hayward et al. (J. Biol. Chem. 266, 7114-7120) independently identified a platelet protein with multimeric structure. Despite strong similarities to GPIa* they concluded that it was a novel multimeric protein and named it first p-155 and later, multimerin. Multimerin has also been found in endothelial cells and has been cloned recently from an endothelial cell cDNA library. This has made it possible for us to clarify the relationship between GPIa* and multimerin. GPIa* was isolated from platelet releasate and the N-terminal sequence of 167 kDa and 155 kDa subunit species were determined. The N-terminal 15 amino acids of GPIa* were identical to the deduced amino acids 184-198 of endothelial multimerin. The N-terminal sequence of the 155 kDa protein was identical to the deduced amino acids 318-326 of multimerin. Thus, platelet GPIa* (167 kDa) is the main processed form of multimerin stored in platelet alpha-granules. The GPIa*/processed multimerin (167 kDa) still contains an RGDS sequence near its N-terminus as well as an EGF domain which may be involved in binding to the platelet surface after release. This sequence and domain are cleaved off in the p-155 form, described earlier as platelet multimerin, which is probably formed after release from alpha-granules.
Recombinant human group II phospholipase A2 (sPLA2) added to human platelets in the low microg/ml range induced platelet activation, as demonstrated by measurement of platelet aggregation, thromboxane A2 generation and influx of intracellular free Ca2+ concentration and by detection of time-dependent tyrosine phosphorylation of platelet proteins. The presence of Ca2+ at low millimolar concentrations is a prerequisite for the activation of platelets by sPLA2. Mg2+ cannot replace Ca2+. Mg2+, given in addition to the necessary Ca2+, inhibits sPLA2-induced platelet activation. Pre-exposure to sPLA2 completely blocked the aggregating effect of a second dose of sPLA2. Albumin or indomethacin inhibited sPLA2-induced aggregation, similarly to the inhibition of arachidonic acid-induced aggregation. Platelets pre-treated with heparitinase or phosphatidylinositol-specific phospholipase C lost their ability to aggregate in response to sPLA2, although they still responded to other agonists. This suggests that a glycophosphatidylinositol-anchored platelet-membrane heparan sulphate proteoglycan is the binding site for sPLA2 on platelets. Previous reports have stated that sPLA2 is unable to activate platelets. The inhibitory effect of albumin and Mg2+, frequently used in aggregation studies, and the fact that isolated platelets lose their responsiveness to sPLA2 relatively quickly, may explain why the platelet-activating effects of sPLA2 have not been reported earlier.
Convulxin, a powerful platelet activator, was isolated from Crotalus durissus terrificus venom, and 20 amino acid N-terminal sequences of both subunits were determined. These indicated that convulxin belongs to the heterodimeric C-type lectin family. Neither antibodies against GPIb nor echicetin had any effect on convulxin-induced platelet aggregation showing that, in contrast to other venom C-type lectins acting on platelets, GPIb is not involved in convulxin-induced platelet activation. In addition, partially reduced/denatured convulxin only affects collagen-induced platelet aggregation. The mechanism of convulxin-induced platelet activation was examined by platelet aggregation, detection of time-dependent tyrosine phosphorylation of platelet proteins, and binding studies with 125I-convulxin. Convulxin induces signal transduction in part like collagen, involving the time-dependent tyrosine phosphorylation of Fc receptor gamma chain, phospholipase Cgamma2, p72(SYK), c-Cbl, and p36-38. However, unlike collagen, pp125(FAK) and some other bands are not tyrosine-phosphorylated. Convulxin binds to a glycosylated 62-kDa membrane component in platelet lysate and to p62/GPVI immunoprecipitated by human anti-p62/GPVI antibodies. Convulxin subunits inhibit both aggregation and tyrosine phosphorylation in response to collagen. Piceatannol, a tyrosine kinase inhibitor with some specificity for p72(SYK), showed differential effects on collagen and convulxin-stimulated signaling. These results suggest that convulxin uses the p62/GPVI but not the alpha2beta1 part of the collagen signaling pathways to activate platelets. Occupation and clustering of p62/GPVI may activate Src family kinases phosphorylating Fc receptor gamma chain and, by a mechanism previously described in T- and B-cells, activate p72(SYK) that is critical for downstream activation of platelets.
Echicetin, a heterodimeric protein from the venom of Echis carinatus, binds to platelet glycoprotein Ib (GPIb) and so inhibits platelet aggregation or agglutination induced by various platelet agonists acting via GPIb. The amino acid sequence of the beta subunit of echicetin has been reported and found to belong to the recently identified snake venom subclass of the C-type lectin protein family. Echicetin alpha and beta subunits were purified. N-terminal sequence analysis provided direct evidence that the protein purified was echicetin. The paper presents the complete amino acid sequence of the alpha subunit and computer models of the alpha and beta subunits. The sequence of alpha echicetin is highly similar to the alpha and beta chains of various heterodimeric and homodimeric C-type lectins. Neither of the fully reduced and alkylated alpha or beta subunits of echicetin inhibited the platelet agglutination induced by von Willebrand factor-ristocetin or alpha-thrombin. Earlier reports about the inhibitory activity of reduced and alkylated echicetin beta subunit might have been due to partial reduction of the protein.
Several studies have shown that Asp-49 is the residue that controls calcium binding in, and so plays a critical role in the calcium-mediated activation of, low-M(r) group I-III phospholipases A2 (PLA2s). The present paper provides experimental evidence that Asp-49 is not an absolute prerequisite for the enzymic activity of PLA2s, and that proteins with amino acid(s) other than Asp at position 49 can exhibit significant phospholipase activity. The purification, complete amino acid sequence and characterization of ecarpholin S, a PLA2 from Echis carinatus sochureki (saw-scaled viper) venom, is described. This single-chain, 122-amino-acid, basic (pI 7.9) protein is a group II PLA2. Although Asp-49 is replaced by Ser and Tyr-28 by Phe (both of these positions being involved in the Ca(2+)-binding site of PLA2s), the lipolysis of soybean phosphatidylcholine and egg yolk in the presence of 10 mM CaCl2 was 1.5 times and 2.9 times greater respectively with ecarpholin S than with recombinant human group II PLA2. The Ca(2+)-dependencies of the enzymic activities of ecarpholin S and rPLA2 were found to be similar. Ecarpholin S added to washed platelets induced aggregation; the presence of Ca2+ was a prerequisite for this platelet-aggregating effect. Computer modelling of the Ca(2+)-binding site of Ser-49 PLA2 compared with the Asp-49 and Lys-49 forms, for which crystallographic data exist, shows that the Ca(2+)-binding site is sterically blocked by Lys-49 but not by Ser-49; in the latter, the Ser hydroxy group may replace the Asp carboxylate in stabilization of Ca2+ binding. Sequence comparisons of ecarpholin S and other low-M(r) PLA2s predicts the presence of a Ser-49 group in the protein family of low-M(r) PLA2s that is distinct from the Asp-49 and Lys-49 groups.
Granzyme A is a serine protease stored in cytoplasmic granules of cytotoxic and helper T lymphocytes. This protease seems to elicit thrombin receptor-mediated responses in neural cells, thereby triggering neurite retraction and reversal of astrocyte stellation. Here we report that granzyme A does not cause platelet aggregation even at concentrations that are more than two orders of magnitude higher than the EC50 for granzyme A in causing morphological changes in neural cells. However, granzyme A blocks thrombin-induced platelet aggregation in a dose-dependent manner without affecting the response to either ADP or to the peptide agonist of the thrombin receptor SFLLRN that corresponds in sequence to the tethered ligand domain. The inability of granzyme A to cause aggregation and its inhibition of thrombin-induced aggregation were seen in platelets from man, rat and mouse. Granzyme A does not affect the catalytic activity of thrombin in cleaving a chromogenic substrate or the macromolecular substrate fibrinogen. However, granzyme A does seem to cleave the thrombin receptor on platelets to produce a weak Ca2+ signal and reduce the response to subsequent challenge with thrombin, but does not induce a signal in thrombin-stimulated platelets. It is proposed that granzyme A interacts with the thrombin receptor found on platelets in a manner that is insufficient to cause aggregation, but sufficient to compete with thrombin for the receptor. These results suggest that granzyme A cleaves the thrombin receptor at a rate that is insufficient to cause platelet aggregation but is sufficient to cause morphological changes in neural cells. Furthermore, these observations demonstrate that granzyme A release occurring during immune responses within blood vessels would not directly cause platelet aggregation.
In order to study the role of platelets in inflammation we constructed a cDNA library from human platelet mRNA. By polymerase chain reaction (PCR) analysis of the library we have shown that platelets express mRNAs for the following chemokines: connective tissue activating peptide-III (CTAP-III), epithelial-derived neutrophil activating factor-78 (ENA-78), RANTES and monocyte chemotactic protein-3 (MCP-3). Platelets also express mRNAs for interleukin 8 receptor A (IL-8RA) and a novel chemokine receptor K5.5. These results suggest that chemokines may not only play an important role in platelet activation but can also influence the nature of the leukocyte infiltrate to sites of inflammation and infection, by the production of multiple chemokines with overlapping specificities.
In the early phase of primary hemostasis, platelets adhere to damaged vessel wall by binding via the platelet glycoprotein (GP) Ib-V-IX complex to von Willebrand factor (vWf) exposed on the subendothelium. The complex is composed of four glycoprotein subunits, GPIb alpha, GPIb beta, GPIX and GPV, each with a variable number of leucine-rich repeats. GPIb alpha and GPIb beta are linked by a disulphide bridge while GPIX and GPV associate noncovalently with the complex. The study of defects in the expression of the GPIb-V-IX complex at the platelet surface leading to pathological disorders, like Bernard-Soulier syndrome (BSS), or in the affinity of platelets for vWf, like pseudo-von Willebrand disease, has helped to delineate the binding site for vWf on GPIb alpha. However, the mechanism by which the complex binds to vWf has not yet been elucidated but it must involve changes in the conformation of the molecules as no interaction between platelets and vWf occurs in the plasma. The GPIb-V-IX complex has a binding site for thrombin on GPIb alpha which participates in the platelet activation by that agonist. GPV is also cleaved by thrombin but the function of this proteolysis is not clear. The platelet response to thrombin is slower and weaker when the thrombin binding site on GPIb alpha is blocked or cleaved or when the GPIb-V-IX complex is not expressed on the platelet surface as in classic BSS. At low doses of thrombin, the rapid activation of the platelets via the seven-transmembrane thrombin receptor is dependent on the presence of the GPIb-V-IX complex.
The first stage in signal transduction in platelets is interaction between the agonist (or adhesive protein) and its receptor. Changes in conformation or clustering induced by binding activate signalling on the cytoplasmic side of the platelet membrane. Platelets contain several families of receptors such as the leucine rich repeat group, GPIb-V-IX, involved in adhesion to von Willebrand factor and modulation of the thrombin response. Platelet integrins include GPIIb-IIIa (alpha IIb beta 3), the receptor for fibrinogen and the major mediator of aggregation, which is also a critical signal transducer both inside-out and outside-in to modulate primary signals. Molecules implicated as collagen receptors include the integrin alpha 2 beta 1, CD36 and GPVI and involve a novel signalling pathway. Many seven transmembrane receptors have been identified; current interest is in the proteolytic and purinergic families.