Platelet collagen receptor Glycoprotein VI-dimer recognizes fibrinogen and fibrin through their D-domains, contributing to platelet adhesion and activation during thrombus formation.

Essentials Glycoprotein VI (GPVI) binds collagen, starting thrombogenesis, and fibrin, stabilizing thrombi. GPVI-dimers, not monomers, recognize immobilized fibrinogen and fibrin through their D-domains. Collagen, D-fragment and D-dimer may share a common or proximate binding site(s) on GPVI-dimer. GPVI-dimer-fibrin interaction supports spreading, activation and adhesion involving αIIbß3. SUMMARY: Background Platelet collagen receptor Glycoprotein VI (GPVI) binds collagen, initiating thrombogenesis, and stabilizes thrombi by binding fibrin. Objectives To determine if GPVI-dimer, GPVI-monomer, or both bind to fibrinogen substrates, and which region common to these substrates contains the interaction site. Methods Recombinant GPVI monomeric extracellular domain (GPVIex ) or dimeric Fc-fusion protein (GPVI-Fc2 ) binding to immobilized fibrinogen derivatives was measured by ELISA, including competition assays involving collagenous substrates and fibrinogen derivatives. Flow adhesion was performed with normal or Glanzmann thrombasthenic (GT) platelets over immobilized fibrinogen, with or without anti-GPVI-dimer or anti-αIIbß3. Results Under static conditions, GPVIex did not bind to any fibrinogen substrate. GPVI-Fc2 exhibited specific, saturable binding to both D-fragment and D-dimer, which was inhibited by mFab-F (anti-GPVI-dimer), but showed low binding to fibrinogen and fibrin under our conditions. GPVI-Fc2 binding to D-fragment or D-dimer was abrogated by collagen type III, Horm collagen or CRP-XL (crosslinked collagen-related peptide), suggesting proximity between the D-domain and collagen binding sites on GPVI-dimer. Under low shear, adhesion of normal platelets to D-fragment, D-dimer, fibrinogen and fibrin was inhibited by mFab-F (inhibitor of GPVI-dimer) and abolished by Eptifibatide (inhibitor of αIIbß3), suggesting that both receptors contribute to thrombus formation on these substrates, but αIIbß3 makes a greater contribution. Notably, thrombasthenic platelets showed limited adhesion to fibrinogen substrates under flow, which was further reduced by mFab-F, supporting some independent GPVI-dimer involvement in this interaction. Conclusion Only dimeric GPVI interacts with fibrinogen D-domain, at a site proximate to its collagen binding site, to support platelet adhesion/activation/aggregate formation on immobilized fibrinogen and polymerized fibrin.

The behavior of alpha2-plasmin inhibitor in fibrinolytic states.

Human plasma alpha2-plasmin inhibitor in fibrinolytic states was studied using immunochemical methods and radioiodinated plasminogen. The concentration and activity of plasma alpha2-plasmin inhibitor decreased when urokinase was added to plasma in vitro or infused intravenously in man. The decrease was associated with the appearance of plasmin-alpha2-plasmin inhibitor complex which subsequently disappeared from the circulation in a short time. A decrease of other major inhibitors, such as alpha2-macroglobulin and alpha1-antitrypsin, was not observed when the amount of urokinase added or infused was relatively small, and conversion of plasminogen to plasmin was not extensive. The formation of plasmin-alpha2-macroglobulin complex was observed only when plasma plasminogen was activated with a larger amount of urokinase, and after most of the alpha2-plasmin inhibitor was consumed by forming complexes with plasmin. The formation of plasmin-alpha1-antitrypsin complex was not observed even in the highly activated plasma unless exogenous plasmin was added to the plasma. alpha2-Plasmin inhibitor was the only inhibitor of which the concentration in plasma was significantly decreased in patients with disseminated intravascular coagulation and fibrinolysis among the major plasmin inhibitors in plasma. The most reactive inhibitor for regulating plasma fibrinolysis very likely is alpha2-plasmin inhibitor.

A patient with platelets deficient in glycoprotein VI that lack both collagen-induced aggregation and adhesion.

Molecular level studies on platelets deficient in collagen-induced aggregation provide evidence for identifying possible platelet collagen receptors. We investigated platelets from a patient with mild bleeding time prolongation, but otherwise normal coagulation data. Her platelets lacked collagen-induced aggregation and adhesion, but retained normal aggregation and release by other agonists. Labeling her platelets with 125I or 3H and analysis by SDS-PAGE/autoradiography showed normal levels of glycoproteins Ia, Ib, IIa, IIb, IIIa, and IV. However, there were significantly decreased incorporations of both radioactivities into a 61-kD membrane glycoprotein (GP), which was identified as GPVI from its mobility on unreduced-reduced, two-dimensional SDS-PAGE. Sugiyama et al. (1987. Blood. 69: 1712) reported that the serum from an idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP) patient contained an antibody against a 62-kD platelet protein. Our patient's platelets lacked the antigen for the ITP patient's antibody, demonstrating that the ITP serum contains a specific antibody against GPVI. The patient's parents' platelets contained approximately 50% the normal amount of GPVI, but still had normal collagen-induced aggregation and adhesion. The patient's platelets did not bind to types I and III collagen fibrils. Our results suggest that GPVI functions as a collagen receptor.

Abnormal plasminogen. A hereditary molecular abnormality found in a patient with recurrent thrombosis.

A patient who suffered a recurring thrombosis over the last 15 yr has been investigated. The only abnormality found in this patient was a significantly depressed level of plasminogen activity in plasma. In spite of the depressed plasminogen activity, the patient was found to have a normal level of plasminogen antigen concentration. It was calculated that the activity per milligram of plasminogen of the patient was approximately one-half the values of normal subjects. The same discrepancy between biological activity and antigen concentration was found in the other members of the kindred. A niece was found to have practically no plasminogen activity but possessed a normal concentration of plasminogen antigen. Both her parents were found to have approximately half the normal plasminogen activity and normal antigen levels. These studies suggested that the molecular abnormality was inherited as an autosomal characteristic, and the family members who had half the normal levels of activity with normal plasminogen antigen were heterozygotes whereas the one with practically no plasminogen activity was homozygote. Subsequent studies showed that the pattern of gel electrofocusing of purified plasminogen of the heterozygotes consisted of 10 normal bands and 10 additional abnormal bands, each of which had a slightly higher isoelectric point than each corresponding normal component. This indicates that plasminogen of the heterozygote is a mixture of normal and abnormal molecules in an approximately equal amount, which was substantiated by active site titration of purified plasminogen preparations obtained from the propositus and a normal individual. The gel electrofocusing pattern of the homozygote consisted of abnormal bands only. The defect is a hereditary abnormality of plasminogen.

Interaction of genetic deficiency of endothelial nitric oxide, gender, and pregnancy in vascular response to injury in mice.

To begin to dissect atherogenesis as a complex genetic disorder affected by genetic makeup and environment, we have (a) generated a reproducible mouse model of neointimal growth; (b) evaluated the effect of disruption of a single gene, endothelial nitric oxide synthase, believed to be central to intimal growth, and (c) examined the modifying effects of gender and pregnancy upon the vascular response. Cuff placement around the femoral artery causes reproducible intimal growth. We assessed the response to injury by quantitative morphometry, measuring the intimal to medial (I/M) volume ratio. In wild-type mice, cuff placement causes pronounced intimal proliferation without affecting the media, resulting in I/M ratios of 31% (SV129 males) and 27% (C57BL/6 males). eNOS mutant male mice have a much greater degree of intimal growth (I/M ratio of 70%). Female mice show less intimal response than do males, although eNOS mutant female mice still have more response than do wild-type females. Most dramatic, however, is the effect of pregnancy, which essentially abolishes the intimal response to injury, even overriding the effect of eNOS mutation. We conclude that eNOS deficiency is a genetic predisposition to intimal proliferation that is enhanced by male gender, and that may be overridden by pregnancy.

A mechanism to safeguard platelet adhesion under high shear flow: von Willebrand factor-glycoprotein Ib and integrin alphabeta-collagen interactions make complementary, collagen-type-specific contributions to adhesion.

BACKGROUND: Blood vessels contain different types of collagen, with types I and III being the major components of vascular collagen. Platelet adhesion under high shear stress has been suggested to depend on the binding of von Willebrand factor (VWF) to collagen. OBJECTIVE: We analyzed the collagen type specificity for the interaction with VWF and high shear stress platelet adhesion. METHODS: VWF binding to different types of immobilized collagen and effects of antibodies against glycoprotein Ib (gpIb) and integrin alpha(2)beta(1) on platelet adhesion to type I and III collagens under high shear were analyzed. RESULTS: VWF showed high-affinity, selective binding to human and bovine type III collagens, but weak or no affinity for types I, II, IV and V under static conditions. Anti-integrin alpha(2)beta(1) markedly inhibited adhesion to type I collagen, but did not affect that to type III collagen. Anti-gpIb antibody significantly inhibited adhesion to type III collagen. Adding both antibodies abrogated the adhesion to either type I or III collagen. CONCLUSIONS: Both the gpIb-VWF interaction and the integrin alpha(2)beta(1)-collagen interaction contribute to platelet adhesion to collagen under high shear stress, and integrin alpha(II)beta(1) makes a greater contribution to adhesion to type I collagen because less VWF is bound to it.

Clustering of glycoprotein VI (GPVI) dimers upon adhesion to collagen as a mechanism to regulate GPVI signaling in platelets.

Essentials Dimeric high-affinity collagen receptor glycoprotein VI (GPVI) is present on resting platelets. Spatio-temporal organization of platelet GPVI-dimers was evaluated using advanced microscopy. Upon platelet adhesion to collagenous substrates, GPVI-dimers coalesce to form clusters. Clustering of GPVI-dimers may increase avidity and facilitate platelet activation SUMMARY: Background Platelet glycoprotein VI (GPVI) binding to subendothelial collagen exposed upon blood vessel injury initiates thrombus formation. Dimeric GPVI has high affinity for collagen, and occurs constitutively on resting platelets. Objective To identify higher-order oligomerization (clustering) of pre-existing GPVI dimers upon interaction with collagen as a mechanism to initiate GPVI-mediated signaling. Methods GPVI was located by use of fluorophore-conjugated GPVI dimer-specific Fab (antigen-binding fragment). The tested substrates include Horm collagen I fibers, soluble collagen III, GPVI-specific collagen peptides, and fibrinogen. GPVI dimer clusters on the platelet surface interacting with these substrates were visualized with complementary imaging techniques: total internal reflection fluorescence microscopy to monitor real-time interactions, and direct stochastic optical reconstruction microscopy (dSTORM), providing relative quantification of GPVI cluster size and density. Confocal microscopy was used to locate GPVI dimer clusters, glycoprotein Ib, integrin α2 ß1 , and phosphotyrosine. Results Upon platelet adhesion to all collagenous substrates, GPVI dimers coalesced to form clusters; notably clusters formed along the fibers of Horm collagen. dSTORM revealed that GPVI density within clusters depended on the substrate, collagen III being the most effective. Clusters on fibrinogen-adhered platelets were much smaller and more numerous; whether these are pre-existing oligomers of GPVI dimers or fibrinogen-induced is not clear. Some GPVI dimer clusters colocalized with areas of phosphotyrosine, indicative of signaling activity. Integrin α2 ß1 was localized to collagen fibers close to GPVI dimer clusters. GPVI clustering depends on a dynamic actin cytoskeleton. Conclusions Platelet adhesion to collagen induces GPVI dimer clustering. GPVI clustering increases both avidity for collagen and the proximity of GPVI-associated signaling molecules, which may be crucial for the initiation and persistence of signaling.

Characterization of a patient with glycoprotein (GP) VI deficiency possessing neither anti-GPVI autoantibody nor genetic aberration.

BACKGROUND: There have been only seven reported cases of glycoprotein (GP) VI deficiency. However, the pathogenesis of this disorder has not been well-elucidated. OBJECTIVES: We characterized a novel patient with GPVI deficiency and used these platelets to investigate the role of GPVI in normal hemostasis. PATIENT: A 31-year-old female with immune thrombocytopenic purpura who had been suffering from mild bleeding diathesis even after recovery from thrombocytopenia. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: The patient's platelets did not aggregate in response to either convulxin or collagen-related peptide. Immunoblotting revealed complete absence of the GPVI molecule, whereas a significantly reduced but substantial amount of Fc receptor (FcR) gamma-chain was expressed. Platelet stimulation with convulxin did not induce tyrosine-phosphorylation of FcR gamma-chain, indicating a defect in GPVI-mediated signaling. Concerning the underlying pathogenesis, we found normal level of GPVI-mRNA expression, no aberration of the sequence of the entire coding region of GPVI, and presence of degraded GPVI in her plasma. However, no anti-GPVI autoantibody was detected either by the binding assay to GPVI-Fc2 fusion protein or by immunoblotting/immunoprecipitation using the patient's immunoglobulin. We thus consider that either a short-time exposure to anti-GPVI autoantibody or a continuous exposure to low titers of the autoantibody has resulted in persistent GPVI deficiency. Under high shear flow, the patient's platelets could not form large aggregates, although initial platelet attachment was obviously observed. These results suggest that GPVI deficiency in this patient resulted in defective platelet thrombi development, manifesting as bleeding diathesis. Furthermore, our observations indicate that coordination of GPVI with integrin alpha2beta1 is essential for physiological platelet thrombus formation.

Establishment and characterization of a human leukemic cell line with megakaryocytic features: dependency on granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor, interleukin 3, or erythropoietin for growth and survival.

A new human leukemia cell line with megakaryocytic features, designated UT-7, was established from the bone marrow of a patient with acute megakaryoblastic leukemia. Surface marker analysis revealed that the majority of the cells reacted with monoclonal antibodies against platelet glycoprotein Ib (CD42b), glycoprotein IIb/IIIa (CD41a), MY 7 (CD13), MY 9 (CD33), and glycophorin A antigens. Cytogenetic analysis showed a human male near-tetraploid karyotype with a modal chromosome number of 92-96. Flow cytometry-derived DNA histograms demonstrated that the majority of the cells spontaneously contained 4 N DNA ploidy levels. Ultrastructural study showed that platelet peroxidase activity was weakly positive but myeloperoxidase activity was negative. Ferritin and theta-granule, which have been used as ultrastructural markers for the erythroid lineage, could not be detected. In response to phorbol myristate acetate, platelet factor 4 and beta-thromboglobulin, which were specifically synthesized in the process of megakaryocyte maturation, dramatically increased in UT-7 cells. This was accompanied by an increase in cell size, ploidy level, platelet peroxidase activity, and the surface density of glycoprotein IIb/IIIa antigen. These findings suggest that UT-7 is a new leukemic cell line with megakaryocytic features and with the potential to differentiate into cells with more mature megakaryocytic properties in response to phorbol myristate acetate. This cell line showed strict dependency on interleukin 3 (IL-3), granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor, or erythropoietin. The maximal effective doses of IL-3, granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor, and erythropoietin for proliferation in liquid culture were 10 units/ml, 1 ng/ml, and 1 unit/ml, respectively. These concentrations were comparable to the doses that maximally stimulate the clonal growth of normal hemopoietic cells. IL-6 could stimulate the proliferation of UT-7 cells but not maintain the line in long-term culture. UT-7 cells may be a useful model for (a) the analysis of gene regulation of megakaryocytic maturation-associated proteins expressed in the process of megakaryocytic differentiation and (b) the study of signal transduction of hemopoietic factors associated with megakaryocytopoiesis.

On the interaction of alpha2-plasmin inhibitor and proteases. Evidence for the formation of a covalent crosslinkage and non-covalent weak bondings between the inhibitor and proteases.

alpha2-plasmin inhibitor is a proteinase inhibitor in plasma which efficiently inhibits the lysis of fibrin clots induced by plasminogen activator. The nature of the binding of the inhibitor to trypsin or plasmin was studied by the chemical treatment of the enzyme-inhibitor complex with 7.5 M hydrazine at pH 10.0. With the hydrazine treatment, the complexes were degraded to proteins corresponding to the respective enzyme and inhibitor moieties. These results indicate that the covalent bond between the inhibitor and the enzymes is a carboxylic ester. The binding reaction of the inhibitor to active site-modified trypsin was also studied. The inhibitor formed complexes with anhydrotrypsin and carboxyamidomethylated trypsin. The complexes were dissociated in the presence of 1% sodium dodecyl sulfate, to the individual components: the respective enzyme and inhibitor moieties. The inhibitor, however, did not form a complex with diisopropylphosphorylated trypsin regardless of the presence or absence of the denaturing reagent. These results suggest the contribution of non-covalent interactions to the complex formation between the inhibitor and native enzymes.

Selective staining of human platelet glycoproteins using nitrocellulose transfer of electrophoresed proteins and peroxidase-conjugated lectins.

Platelet proteins (0.5-5 micrograms) were electrophoresed in a one-dimensional or an unreduced-reduced, two-dimensional sodium dodecyl sulfate gel system. The separated proteins were then transferred electrophoretically to nitrocellulose and reacted with peroxidase-conjugated lectins. Visualization of specific glycoproteins which bound the lectins was made by the chromogenic reaction catalyzed by peroxidase utilizing 3,3'-diaminobenzidine as the substrate. Wheat germ agglutinin specifically reacted with and allowed the visualization of glycoprotein Ib. Peanut agglutinin also specifically stained glycoprotein Ib after treatment of the nitrocellulose transferred proteins with neuraminidase. Ricinus communis agglutinin I stained thrombospondin, a 260 kDa protein, and factor VIII. Concanavalin A stained mainly glycoproteins IIb, III, IV, and V. Glycoproteins Ia, Ic, IIa, and other minor glycoproteins could be separated by unreduced-reduced, two-dimensional gel electrophoresis and were stained weakly with wheat germ agglutinin conjugates. These techniques were found to be reproducible as well as easily applied to the analysis and identification of platelet glycoproteins, particularly when dealing with a limited amount of platelets.

Crosslinking of platelet glycoprotein Ib by N-succinimidyl(4-azidophenyldithio)propionate and 3,3'-dithiobis(sulfosuccinimidyl propionate).

To examine the relationship between glycoprotein Ib and other proteins in the platelet membrane and the interaction of this protein with thrombin, platelets were crosslinked by two cleavable reagents, SADP (N-succinimidyl(4-azidophenyldithio)propionate) and DTSSP (3,3'-dithiobis(sulfosuccinimidyl propionate]. Two-dimensional, unreduced-reduced sodium dodecyl sulphate (SDS)-polyacrylamide electrophoresis and staining by silver or wheat germ agglutinin-conjugated peroxidase, after protein transfer to nitrocellulose, demonstrated that SADP intramolecularly crosslinked glycoprotein Ib and formed intermolecular complexes of glycorprotein IIb and some high molecular weight proteins. DTSSP intermolecularly crosslinked glycoprotein Ib, glycoprotein IIb, and other high molecular weight proteins. With a low concentration of 125I-labeled TLCK-thrombin (6 nM), crosslinking with SADP yielded a 200 000 Da complex containing radioactive-labeled thrombin, and high TLCK-thrombin concentration (0.1 microM) gave the complex and a 167 000 band. alpha- and TLCK-thrombin crosslinking with DTSSP also yielded the 200 000 complex formed by reaction with SADP or DTSSP was markedly reduced by preincubation of platelets with excess unlabeled TLCK-thrombin and had a pI similar to glycoprotein Ib. These results suggest that glycoprotein Ib is one of the proteins composing the high affinity receptor for thrombin.

Plasmic degradation of bovine fibrinogen and non-crosslinked fibrins in solution and in gel form.

1. Analysis of degradation processes of bovine fibrinogen by bovine plasmin using sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and a study on the mode of changes of the properties related to clotting of digestion products as a function of time were performed. Gross features and patterns very similar to those which had been reported with human fibrinogen-plasmin systems were obtained. 2. Based on the molecular size of the degradation products and the mode of appearance and disappearance of the degradation products, the processes could tentatively be divided into three stages: stage 1, where fibrinogen (mol. wt 370 000) was degraded to produce fragments X1 (330 000) and X2 (290 000); stage 2, fragment X2 was degraded with appearance of Y (210 000) and D1 (140 000); stage 3, appearance of fragments D1, D2 (110 000), and D3 (100 000) sequentially and E (68 000) with concomitant disappearance of Y. 3. A microseparation method, which is a combination of dansylation and sodium dodecylsulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, was devised to analyze the events of stage 1 in detail, and a molecular model for the process was proposed. 4. The plasmic degradation processes of bovine non-cross-linked fibrins in solution and in gel form were compared with that of fibrinogen and it was found that the state of the substrates, fibrins, could cause differences in the degradation patterns. With the former substrate, essentially the same sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoretic patterns as those with fibrinogen were obtained. With the latter substrate, however, a distinct difference in the mode of degradation of beta chains was observed.

Analysis of the fibrin-polymerizing reaction using sodium dodecylsulfate-agarose gel electrophoresis.

1. A new method of sodium dodecylsulfate gel electrophoresis, sodium dodecyl-sulfate-agarose gel electrophoresis, was developed. The new electrophoresis was shown to have a high and efficient resolving power for fibrin polymers and was also applicable to other proteins. 2. By sodium dodecylsulfate-agarose gel electrophoresis, the fibrin polymerizing reaction with activated fibrin stabilizing factor was analyzed in detail. The cross-linking between the gamma-chains was indicated to occur at an intermolecular level. The solubility of polymerized fibrin was suggested to be related mainly to the formation of the crosslinks between gamma-chains.

Platelet adhesion to collagen-coated wells: analysis of this complex process and a comparison with the adhesion to matrigel-coated wells.

The mechanisms of platelet adhesion to collagen type III-coated wells and Matrigel-coated wells were analyzed. The adhesion of 51Cr-labeled platelets to collagen-coated wells showed a biphasic pattern. The early stage of adhesion was inhibited by antibodies against platelet glycoprotein(GP)s Ia/IIa and VI. The later stage of platelet adhesion was inhibited by an antibody against the GPIIb/IIIa complex and a concomitant release of 14C-labeled serotonin was observed. The percentage of adhered platelets was increased when a higher platelet concentration was added in the reaction medium. These results indicated that the adhesion assay of platelets to collagen-coated wells was composed of two reactions: the first one is the platelet-collagen interaction that depends on GPIa/IIa and GPVI on the platelet surface; and the second reaction is the platelet-platelet interaction, platelet aggregation, which depends on GPIIb/IIIa. The adhesion of platelets to Matrigel-coated wells was indicated to involve platelet-Matrigel interactions that were partly dependent on the laminin in the Matrigel solution.

Phorbol ester treatment of two megakaryoblastic cell lines, CMK and UT-7, induces specific protein composition changes with non-coincident time-courses.

The expressions of platelet-specific glycoprotein(GP)s Ib, IIb and IIIa were analyzed in 2 megakaryoblastic cell lines: CMK and UT-7. Phorbol-12 myristate 13-acetate (PMA) treatment of CMK induced expressions of GPs IIb and IIIa that peaked on the 4th day post-treatment, while treated UT-7 cells showed maximal levels of these GPs during the 6-8th days. Antibody staining to detect the formation of GPIb alpha after PMA induction showed the presence of the intact GP in UT-7 and the degraded form in CMK. In UT-7, synthesis of GPIIb mRNA increased on days 4-6 after PMA treatment, in parallel with the increase of GPIIb. PMA increased the cytoskeletal protein (actin and myosin) contents in both lines, but in contrast to the two GPs, the increase in these proteins started immediately after PMA addition to the cells. Cell surface proteins of CMK and UT-7 cells were rapidly modified after PMA induction. Especially notable were the degradations of 93-kDa and 140-kDa proteins that occurred on days 1-2 after PMA treatment. These studies demonstrate that the expression of platelet-specific proteins shows a different time dependency than the increment of cytoskeletal proteins, indicating that the syntheses of these two classes of proteins are most likely induced through different mechanisms.