alphaIIbbeta3 biogenesis is controlled by engagement of alphaIIb in the calnexin cycle via the N15-linked glycan

Although much is known about alphaIIbbeta3 structure and function, relatively little is understood about its biogenesis. Thus, we studied the kinetics of pro-alphaIIb production and degradation, focusing on whether proteasomal degradation or the calnexin cycle participates in these processes. In pulse-chase analyses, the time to half-disappearance of pro-alphaIIb (t1/2) was the same in (1) HEK293 cells transfected with (a) alphaIIb plus beta3, (b) alphaIIb alone, (c) mutant V298FalphaIIb plus beta3, or (d) I374TalphaIIb plus beta3; and (2) murine wild-type and beta3-null megakaryocytes. Inhibition of the proteasome prolonged the t1/2 values in both HEK293 cells and murine megakaryocytes. Calnexin coprecipitated with alphaIIb from HEK293 cells transfected with alphaIIb alone, alphaIIb plus beta3, and V298FalphaIIb plus beta3. For proteins in the calnexin cycle, removal of the terminal mannose residue of the middle branch of the core N-linked glycan results in degradation. Inhibition of the enzyme that removes this mannose residue prevented pro-alphaIIb degradation in beta3-null murine megakaryocytes. alphaIIb contains a conserved glycosylation consensus sequence at N15, and an N15Q mutation prevented pro-alphaIIb maturation, complex formation, and degradation. Our findings suggest that pro-alphaIIb engages the calnexin cycle via the N15 glycan and that failure of pro-alphaIIb to complex normally with beta3 results in proteasomal degradation.     

AlphaIIbG236E causes Glanzmann thrombasthenia by impairing association with beta3

Glanzmann thrombasthenia (GT) is a recessively inherited bleeding disorder caused by the quantitative or qualitative deficiency of the platelet fibrinogen receptor, integrin alphaIIbbeta3. The N-terminal domain of the alphaIIb subunit is folded in a beta-propeller that plays the role of binding fibrinogen and associating with the ligand-binding region of beta3. Analysing the mutations of Italian GT patients we found that a patient had a alphaIIb G236E missense substitution that substitutes a glycine from the highly conserved PhiPhiGPhi motif of blade 4 of the beta-propeller. To verify experimentally the effect of the substitution of glycine 236 human embryonic kidney (HEK) cells were transfected with normal or mutated alphaIIb in conjunction with normal beta3. Using flow cytometry analysis we found the percentage of HEK cells transfected with alphaIIbG236Ebeta3 that reacted with anti alphaIIbbeta3 was very low. In HEK cells transfected with either alphaIIbbeta3 or alphaIIbG236Ebeta3 and lysed, when immunoblotting was done in non-reducing conditions a band reacting with an antibody against alphaIIb was present in both lysates, although less intense in cells transfected with alphaIIbG236Ebeta3. In reducing condition alphaIIb from cells transfected with alphaIIbbeta3 was nearly all mature, while in cells transfected with alphaIIbG236Ebeta3 the ratio pro-alphaIIb: alphaIIb was 1 : 1, with signs of degradation of the mutated protein. Cell lysates were then immunoprecipitated with antibodies against alphaIIb and immunoblotted with an antibody reacting with beta3. While in immunoblots from cells transfected with alphaIIbbeta3 a band corresponding to beta3 was strongly detectable, in immunoblots originating from cells transfected with alphaIIbG236Ebeta3 no band at the same level of normal beta3 was detected. Immunofluorescence studies showed accumulation of alphaIIbG236Ebeta3 in the endoplasmic reticulum and minimal transport to the Golgi. In conclusion we demonstrated that the alphaIIbG236E mutation causes GT by impairing the association with beta3 during biogenesis of the receptor.     

Integrin beta3 regions controlling binding of murine mAb 7E3: implications for the mechanism of integrin alphaIIbbeta3 activation

Abciximab, a derivative of the murine mAb 7E3, protects against ischemic complications of percutaneous coronary interventions by inhibiting ligand binding to the alphaIIbbeta3 receptor. In this study we identified regions on integrin beta3 that control 7E3 binding. Murine/human amino acid substitutions were created in two regions of the betaA domain that previous studies found to influence 7E3 binding: the C177-C184 loop and K125-N133. The T182N substitution and a K125Q mutation reduced 7E3 binding to human beta3 in complex with alphaIIb. The introduction of both the human C177-C184 region and human W129 into murine beta3 was necessary and sufficient to permit 7E3 binding to the human alphaIIb/murine beta3 complex. Although we cannot exclude allosteric effects, we propose that 7E3 binds between C177-C184 and W129, which are within 15 A of each other in the crystal structure and close to the beta3 metal ion-dependent adhesion site. We previously demonstrated that 7E3 binds more rapidly to activated than unactivated platelets. Because it has been proposed that alphaIIbbeta3 changes from a bent to an extended conformation upon activation, we hypothesized that 7E3 binds less well to the bent than the extended conformation. In support of this hypothesis we found that 7E3 bound less well to an alphaIIbbeta3 construct locked in a bent conformation, and unlocking the conformation restored 7E3 binding. Thus, our data are consistent with alphaIIbbeta3 existing in variably bent conformations in equilibrium with each other on unactivated platelets, and activation resulting in alphaIIbbeta3 adopting a more extended conformation.     

Two novel mutations in the alpha IIb calcium-binding domains identify hydrophobic regions essential for alpha IIbbeta 3 biogenesis

The recently published crystal structure of the external domains of alphaVbeta3 confirms the prediction that the aminoterminal portion of alphaV, which shares 40% homology with alphaIIb, folds into a beta-propeller structure and that the 4 calcium-binding domains are positioned on the bottom of the propeller. To gain insight into the role of the calcium-binding domains in alphaIIb biogenesis, we characterized mutations in the second and third calcium-binding domains of alphaIIb in 2 patients with Glanzmann thrombasthenia. One patient inherited a Val298Phe mutation in the second domain, and the other patient inherited an Ile374Thr mutation in the third domain. Mammalian cell expression studies were performed with normal and mutant alphaIIb and beta3 cDNA constructs. By flow cytometry, expression of alphaIIb Val298Phe/beta3 in transfected cells was 28% of control, and expression of alphaIIbIle374Thr/beta3 was 11% of control. Pulse-chase analyses showed that both mutant pro-alphaIIb subunits are retained in the endoplasmic reticulum and degraded. Mutagenesis studies of the Val298 and Ile374 residues showed that these highly conserved, branch-chained hydrophobic residues are essential at these positions and that biogenesis and expression of alphaIIbbeta3 is dramatically affected by structural variations in these regions of the calcium-binding domains. Energy calculations derived from a new model of the alphaIIb beta-propeller indicate that these mutations interfere with calcium binding. These data suggest that the alphaIIb calcium-binding domains play a key structural role in the beta-propeller, and that the structural integrity of the calcium-binding domains is critical for integrin biogenesis.     

Application of high-throughput screening to identify a novel alphaIIb-specific small- molecule inhibitor of alphaIIbbeta3-mediated platelet interaction with fibrinogen

Small-molecule alphaIIbbeta3 antagonists competitively block ligand binding by spanning between the D224 in alphaIIb and the MIDAS metal ion in beta3. They variably induce conformational changes in the receptor, which may have undesirable consequences. To identify alphaIIbbeta3 antagonists with novel structures, we tested 33 264 small molecules for their ability to inhibit the adhesion of washed platelets to immobilized fibrinogen at 16 muM. A total of 102 compounds demonstrated 50% or more inhibition, and one of these (compound 1, 265 g/mol) inhibited ADP-induced platelet aggregation (IC(50): 13+/- 5 muM), the binding of soluble fibrinogen to platelets induced by mAb AP5, and the binding of soluble fibrinogen and a cyclic RGD peptide to purified alphaIIbbeta3. Compound 1 did not affect the function of GPIb, alpha2beta1, or the other beta3 family receptor alphaVbeta3. Molecular docking simulations suggest that compound 1 interacts with alphaIIb but not beta3. Compound 1 induced partial exposure of an alphaIIb ligand-induced binding site (LIBS), but did not induce exposure of 2 beta3 LIBS. Transient exposure of purified alphaIIbbeta3 to eptifibatide, but not compound 1, enhanced fibrinogen binding ("priming"). Compound 1 provides a prototype for small molecule selective inhibition of alphaIIbbeta3, without receptor priming, via targeting alphaIIb.     

Calreticulin-independent regulation of the platelet integrin alphaIIbbeta3 by the KVGFFKR alphaIIb-cytoplasmic motif

The platelet integrin alphaIIbbeta3 alters conformation in response to platelet activation and ligand binding, although the molecular mechanisms involved are not known. We previously showed that a lipid modified peptide, corresponding to the membrane proximal 989KVGFFKR995 portion of the alphaIIb cytoplasmic tail, independently activates platelet alphaIIbbeta3. Calreticulin (CRT) is a potential integrin regulatory protein based on its interaction with the highly conserved alpha-integrin sequence KxGFFKR. We therefore examined the possible interaction of calreticulin and alphaIIbbeta3 in human platelets. We demonstrate that calreticulin in platelets is localised to the granulomere. In contrast, the known integrin-binding protein talin accumulates at the periphery of spreading platelets and colocalises with alphaIIbbeta3 during the process of adhesion. An interaction between calreticulin and alphaIIbbeta3 could not be demonstrated using co-immunoprecipitation techniques under various platelet activation states, even in the presence of covalent chemical crosslinkers. Thus, calreticulin does not functionally interact with the major integrin in human platelets. In order to identify proteins that interact with the integrin KVGFFKR motif we then used a peptide 'pull-down' assay from platelet lysates with biotinylated peptides and demonstrate that only the alphaIIb and beta3 subunits selectively and individually interact with this sequence. This interaction is divalent cation-dependent, has high-affinity, and occurs both with purified alphaIIbbeta3 complex and with electroeluted alpha and beta subunits. Thus, our data show that the conserved integrin KVGFFKR domain interacts primarily with the alpha and beta cytoplasmic tails and not with CRT in human platelets.     

A push-pull mechanism for regulating integrin function

Homomeric and heteromeric interactions between the alphaIIb and beta3 transmembrane domains are involved in the regulation of integrin alphaIIbbeta3 function. These domains appear to interact in the inactivated state but separate upon integrin activation. Moreover, homomeric interactions may increase the level of alphaIIbbeta3 activity by competing for the heteromeric interaction that specifies the resting state. To test this model, a series of mutants were examined that had been shown previously to either enhance or disrupt the homomeric association of the alphaIIb transmembrane domain. One mutation that enhanced the dimerization of the alphaIIb transmembrane domain indeed induced constitutive alphaIIbbeta3 activation. However, a series of mutations that disrupted homodimerization also led to alphaIIbbeta3 activation. These results suggest that the homo- and heterodimerization motifs overlap in the alphaIIb transmembrane domain, and that mutations that disrupt the alphaIIb/beta3 transmembrane domain heterodimer are sufficient to activate the integrin. The data also imply a mechanism for alphaIIbbeta3 regulation in which the integrin can be shifted from its inactive to its active state by destabilizing an alphaIIb/beta3 transmembrane domain heterodimer and by stabilizing the resulting alphaIIb and beta3 transmembrane domain homodimers.     

Activation of alphaIIbbeta3 is a sufficient but also an imperative prerequisite for activation of alpha2beta1 on platelets

Platelet integrins alpha2beta1 and alphaIIbbeta3 play critical roles in platelet adhesion and thrombus formation after vascular injury. On resting platelets, both integrins are in a low-affinity state. However, agonist stimulation results in conformational changes that enable ligand binding that can be detected with conformation dependent monoclonal antibodies (mAbs). By using such conformation-dependent mAbs, we could demonstrate that activation of integrin alphaIIbbeta3 is not only sufficient, but also a prerequisite for alpha2beta1 activation. Compared with platelets in plasma, stimulation of washed platelets resulted in only a minor activation of alpha2beta1, as detected with the activation-sensitive mAb IAC-1. Addition of fibrinogen to stimulated washed platelets greatly potentiated activation of this integrin. Also, treatment of alphaIIbbeta3 with the ligand-mimetic peptide RGDS, resulting in outside-in signaling, led to a powerful alpha2beta1 activation, even in the absence of overall platelet activation, involving tyrosine kinase activity but no protein kinase C activation. The absolute necessity of alphaIIbbeta3 for proper alpha2beta1 activation on platelets was demonstrated by using the alphaIIbbeta3 antagonist aggrastat, which was able to completely abolish alpha2beta1 activation, both under static and flow conditions. In addition, analogous experiments with Glanzmann platelets lacking alphaIIbbeta3 confirmed the indispensability of alphaIIbbeta3 for alpha2beta1 activation.     

Megakaryocyte-targeted synthesis of the integrin beta(3)-subunit results in the phenotypic correction of Glanzmann thrombasthenia

Glanzmann thrombasthenia is an inherited bleeding disorder characterized by qualitative or quantitative defects of the platelet-specific integrin, alphaIIbbeta(3). As a result, alphaIIbbeta(3) cannot be activated and cannot bind to fibrinogen, leading to a loss of platelet aggregation. Thrombasthenia is clinically characterized by mucocutaneous hemorrhage with episodes of intracranial and gastrointestinal bleeding. To develop methods for gene therapy of Glanzmann thrombasthenia, a murine leukemia virus (MuLV)-derived vector, -889Pl(A2)beta(3), was transduced into peripheral blood CD34(+) cells from 2 patients with thrombasthenia with defects in the beta(3) gene. The human alphaIIb promoter was used in this vector to drive megakaryocyte-targeted expression of the wild-type beta(3) subunit. Proviral DNA and alphaIIbbeta(3) biosynthesis were detected after in vitro differentiation of transduced thrombasthenic CD34(+) cells with megakaryocyte growth and development factor. Flow cytometric analysis of transduced patient samples indicated that 19% of megakaryocyte progeny expressed alphaIIbbeta(3) on the surface at 34% of normal receptor levels. Treatment of transduced megakaryocytes with a combination of agonists including epinephrine and the thrombin receptor-activating peptide induced the alphaIIbbeta(3) complex to form an activated conformation capable of binding fibrinogen as measured by PAC-1 antibody binding. Transduced cells retracted a fibrin clot in vitro similar to megakaryocytes derived from a normal nonthrombasthenic individual. These results demonstrate ex vivo phenotypic correction of Glanzmann thrombasthenia and support the potential use of hematopoietic CD34(+) cells as targets for alphaIIb promoter-driven MuLV vectors for gene therapy of platelet disorders. (Blood. 2000;95:3645-3651)     

A naturally occurring mutation near the amino terminus of alphaIIb defines a new region involved in ligand binding to alphaIIbbeta3

Decreased expression of functional alphaIIbbeta3 complexes on the platelet surface produces Glanzmann thrombasthenia. We have identified mutations of alphaIIb(P145) in 3 ethnically distinct families affected by Glanzmann thrombasthenia. Affected Mennonite and Dutch patients were homozygous and doubly heterozygous, respectively, for a P(145)A substitution, whereas a Chinese patient was doubly heterozygous for a P(145)L substitution. The mutations affect expression levels of surface alphaIIbbeta3 receptors on their platelets, which was confirmed by co-transfection of alphaIIb(P145A) and beta3 cDNA constructs in COS-1 cells. Each mutation also impaired the ability of alphaIIbbeta3 on affected platelets to interact with ligands. Moreover, when alphaIIb(P145A) and beta3 were stably coexpressed in Chinese hamster ovary cells, alphaIIbbeta3 was readily detected on the cell surface, but the cells were unable to adhere to immobilized fibrinogen or to bind soluble fluorescein isothiocyanate-fibrinogen after alphaIIbbeta3 activation by the activating monoclonal antibody PT25-2. Nonetheless, incubating affected platelets with the peptide LSARLAF, which binds to alphaIIb, induced PF4 secretion, indicating that the mutant alphaIIbbeta3 retained the ability to mediate outside-in signaling. These studies indicate that mutations involving alphaIIb(P145 )impair surface expression of alphaIIbbeta3 and that the alphaIIb(P145A) mutation abrogates ligand binding to the activated integrin. A comparative analysis of other alphaIIb mutations with a similar phenotype suggests that these mutations may cluster into a single region on the surface of the alphaIIb and may define a domain influencing ligand binding. (Blood. 2000;95:180188)     

A novel 196Leu to Pro substitution in the beta3 subunit of the alphaIIbbeta3 integrin in a patient with a variant form of Glanzmann thrombasthenia

Glanzmann thrombasthenia (GT) is an inherited disorder where an absence of platelet aggregation is associated with quantitative or qualitative abnormalities of the alphaIIbbeta3 integrin. In rare patients, amino acid substitutions have provided information on the functional significance of specific domains within alphaIIb or beta3. We now report an elderly male GT patient (R.M.) from the south west of France whose platelets possess a small residual expression of alphaIIbbeta3. Furthermore, the integrin failed to undergo the necessary conformational changes following platelet activation to permit the binding of fibrinogen or activation-dependent monoclonal antibodies despite the presence of an RGD-binding site. Screening of the alphaIIb and beta3 genes by PCR-SSCP revealed a heterozygous mutation at position 685 in exon 5 of the beta3 gene leading to a 196Leu to Pro substitution. 196Leu is a highly conserved amino acid of beta3. The other beta3 allele appeared to be silent. This mutation, inherited from his mother and present in other family members with intermediate levels of alphaIIbbeta3, was close to the MIDAS-like domain of beta3, a fact that appears to explain its effect on alphaIIbbeta3 activation and fibrinogen binding.     

A nonsynonymous SNP in the ITGB3 gene disrupts the conserved membrane-proximal cytoplasmic salt bridge in the alphaIIbbeta3 integrin and cosegregates dominantly with abnormal proplatelet formation and macrothrombocytopenia

We report a 3-generation pedigree with 5 individuals affected with a dominantly inherited macrothrombocytopenia. All 5 carry 2 nonsynonymous mutations resulting in a D723H mutation in the beta3 integrin and a P53L mutation in glycoprotein (GP) Ibalpha. We show that GPIbalpha-L53 is phenotypically silent, being also present in 3 unaffected pedigree members and in 7 of 1639 healthy controls. The beta3-H723 causes constitutive, albeit partial, activation of the alphaIIbbeta3 complex by disruption of the highly conserved cytoplasmic salt bridge with arginine 995 in the alphaIIb integrin as evidenced by increased PAC-1 but not fibrinogen binding to the patients' resting platelets. This was confirmed in CHO alphaIIbbeta3-H723 transfectants, which also exhibited increased PAC-1 binding, increased adhesion to von Willebrand factor (VWF) in static conditions and to fibrinogen under shear stress. Crucially, we show that in the presence of fibrinogen, alphaIIbbeta3-H723, but not wild-type alphaIIbbeta3, generates a signal that leads to the formation of proplatelet-like protrusions in transfected CHO cells. Abnormal proplatelet formation was confirmed in the propositus's CD34+ stem cell-derived megakaryocytes. We conclude that the constitutive activation of the alphaIIbbeta3-H723 receptor causes abnormal proplatelet formation, leading to incorrect sizing of platelets and the thrombocytopenia observed in the pedigree.     

The beta3 subunit of the integrin alphaIIbbeta3 regulates alphaIIb-mediated outside-in signaling

Bidirectional signaling is an essential feature of alphaIIbbeta3 function. The alphaIIb cytoplasmic domain negatively regulates beta3-mediated inside-out signaling, but little is known about the regulation of alphaIIb-mediated outside-in signaling. We show that alphaIIb-mediated outside-in signaling is enhanced in platelets of a patient lacking the terminal 39 residues of the beta3 cytoplasmic tail. This enhanced signaling was detected as thromboxane A(2) (TxA(2)) production and granule secretion, and required ligand cross-linking of alphaIIbbeta3 and platelet aggregation. This outside-in signaling was specifically inhibited by a palmitoylated version of a beta3 peptide corresponding to cytoplasmic domain residues R724-R734. Unlike the palmitoylated peptide, the nonpalmitoylated beta3 peptide could not cross the platelet membrane and did not inhibit this outside-in signaling. The physiologic relevance of this beta3-mediated negative regulation of alphaIIb outside-in signaling was demonstrated in normal platelets treated with the palmitoylated peptide and a physiologic agonist. Binding of alphaIIbbeta3 complexes to immobilized peptides demonstrated that a peptide corresponding to beta3 residues R724-R734 appears to bind to an alphaIIb cytoplasmic domain peptide containing residues K989-D1002, but not to control peptides. These results demonstrate that alphaIIb-mediated outside-in signaling resulting in TxA(2) production and granule secretion is negatively regulated by a sequence of residues in the membrane distal beta3 cytoplasmic domain sequence RKEFAKFEEER.     

A Leu55 to Pro substitution in the integrin alphaIIb is responsible for a case of Glanzmann's thrombasthenia

Glanzmann's thrombasthenia (GT) is a hereditary bleeding disorder caused by a quantitative or qualitative defect in the integrin alphaIIbbeta3. A new mutation, a T to C substitution at base 258 in the alphaIIb gene, leading to the replacement of Leu55 with Pro, was found by sequence analysis of a patient's alphaIIb cDNA. In transfection experiments using COS7 cells, the cells co-transfected with the mutated alphaIIb cDNA containing C258 and wild-type beta3 cDNA scarcely expressed the alphaIIbbeta3 complex. The Leu55 to Pro substitution in the alphaIIb gene was found to be responsible for this case of Glanzmann's thrombasthenia.     

A Ser752-->Pro substitution in the cytoplasmic domain of beta3 in a Glanzmann thrombasthenia variant fails to prevent interactions between the alphaIIbbeta3 integrin and the platelet granule pool of fibrinogen

A Glanzmann thrombasthenia variant with a beta3 Ser752-->Pro cytoplasmic domain substitution has platelets that fail to aggregate or bind soluble fibrinogen (Fg) after activation. Despite this, Fg is normally present in the alpha-granules. We have used immunoelectron microscopy to examine the reactivity of Fg with the different pools of alphaIIbbeta3 in the patient's platelets. Immunogold labelling was performed on cryosections using an anti-ligand-induced binding site (LIBS) monoclonal antibody (mAb), which binds to alphaIIbbeta3 only when Fg is bound, or a mixture of two anti-receptor-induced binding site (RIBS) mAbs that specifically recognize receptor-bound Fg. Labelling of the alpha-granule membrane and channels of the surface-connected canalicular system in unstimulated platelets confirmed that the mutated alphaIIbbeta3 retains the capacity to transport Fg. When the patient's platelets were stimulated with ADP in the presence of Fg, as expected there was a much-decreased activation of surface-exposed alphaIIbbeta3. However, thrombin-induced activation was associated with both secretion and a rapid increase in the labelling of internal membrane systems by anti-RIBS and anti-LIBS mAbs, with mobilization of the internal Fg pool. Yet labelling on the surface of the patient's platelets was transient. Our studies implied that alphaIIbbeta3 in platelets may bind fibrinogen in different activation states and that this patient specifically lacked high-affinity binding.     

Integrin alphaIIbbeta3 and its antagonism

AlphaIIbbeta3, the major membrane protein on the surface of platelets, is a member of the integrin family of heterodimeric adhesion receptors. The alphaIIb and beta3 subunits are each composed of a short cytoplasmic tail, a single transmembrane domain, and a large, extracellular region that consists of a series of linked domains. Recent structural analyses have provided insights into the organization of this and other integrins and how a signal is initiated at its cytoplasmic tail to transform the extracellular domain of alphaIIbbeta3 into a functional receptor for fibrinogen or von Willebrand factor to support platelet aggregation and thrombus formation. These functions of alphaIIbbeta3 have been targeted for antithrombotic therapy, and intravenous alphaIIbbeta3 antagonists have been remarkably effective in the setting of percutaneous coronary interventions, showing both short-term and long-term mortality benefits. However, the development of oral antagonists has been abandoned on the basis of excess of mortality in clinical trials, and the extension of therapy with existing alphaIIbbeta3 antagonists to broadly treat acute coronary syndromes has not fully met expectations. An in-depth understanding of how antagonists engage and influence the function of alphaIIbbeta3 and platelets in the context of the new structural insights may explain its salutary and potential deleterious effects.     

Group IVA cytosolic phospholipase A2 (cPLA2alpha) and integrin alphaIIbbeta3 reinforce each other's functions during alphaIIbbeta3 signaling in platelets

Group IVA cytosolic phospholipase A(2) (cPLA(2)alpha) catalyzes release of arachidonic acid from glycerophospholipids, leading to thromboxane A(2) (TxA(2)) production. Some platelet agonists stimulate cPLA(2)alpha, but others require fibrinogen binding to alphaIIbbeta3 to elicit TxA(2). Therefore, relationships between cPLA(2)alpha and alphaIIbbeta3 were examined. cPLA(2)alpha and a cPLA(2)alpha binding partner, vimentin, coimmunoprecipitated with alphaIIbbeta3 from platelets, independent of fibrinogen binding. Studies with purified proteins and with recombinant proteins expressed in CHO cells determined that the interaction between cPLA(2)alpha and alphaIIbbeta3 was indirect and was dependent on the alphaIIb and beta3 cytoplasmic tails. Fibrinogen binding to alphaIIbbeta3 caused an increase in integrin-associated cPLA(2)alpha activity in normal platelets, but not in cPLA(2)alpha-deficient mouse platelets or in human platelets treated with pyrrophenone, a cPLA(2)alpha inhibitor. cPLA(2)alpha activation downstream of alphaIIbbeta3 had functional consequences for platelets in that it was required for fibrinogen-dependent recruitment of activated protein kinase Cbeta to the alphaIIbbeta3 complex and for platelet spreading. Thus, cPLA(2)alpha and alphaIIbbeta3 interact to reinforce each other's functions during alphaIIbbeta3 signaling. This provides a plausible explanation for the role of alphaIIbbeta3 in TxA(2) formation and in the defective hemostatic function of mouse or human platelets deficient in cPLA(2)alpha.     

Recent development of peptides from glycoproteins IIb (alphaIIb) and IIIa (beta3) that inhibit platelet fibrinogen binding

The glycoprotein (GP) IIb/IIIa (alphaIIbbeta3) found on platelets binds fibrinogen when platelets are activated, thereby mediating the platelet aggregation process. Blockading of alphaIIbbeta3 has been proposed to prevent platelet aggregation independent of the substance(s) responsible for activating the platelets. This inhibition of platelet aggregation is thought to be an effective therapeutic approach to various thromboembolic syndromes. The development of various forms of alphalambdapietaalpha;IIbbeta3 inhibitors has resulted in the inhibition of platelet aggregation, although studies of alphaIIbbeta3 receptor function and various alphaIIbbeta3 inhibitors have demonstrated the potential for these agents to produce effects on other aspects of platelet function as well as having non-platelet effects. This review describes the newly derived peptides from 1) glycoprotein IIb (alphaIIb) that interferes with platelet aggregation by inhibiting the binding of fibrinogen to alphaIIbbeta3 and from 2) GP IIIa (beta3) by blocking the alphaIIbbeta3 complex formation. These peptides may become effective agents to block the interaction of ADP, type I collagen, and type III collagen (type I collagen and type III collagen are present in abundant amounts in blood vessel walls) with platelets.     

Therapeutic expression of the platelet-specific integrin, alphaIIbbeta3, in a murine model for Glanzmann thrombasthenia

Integrins mediate the adhesion of cells to each other and to the extracellular matrix during development, immunity, metastasis, thrombosis, and wound healing. Molecular defects in either the alpha- or beta-subunit can disrupt integrin synthesis, assembly, and/or binding to adhesive ligands. This is exemplified by the bleeding disorder, Glanzmann thrombasthenia (GT), where abnormalities of the platelet-specific integrin, alphaIIbbeta3, prevent platelet aggregation following vascular injury. We previously used a retrovirus vector containing a cDNA cassette encoding human integrin beta3 to restore integrin alphaIIbbeta3 on the surface of megakaryocytes derived from peripheral blood stem cells of GT patients. In the present study, bone marrow from beta3-deficient (beta3-/-) mice was transduced with the ITGbeta3-cassette to investigate whether the platelet progeny could establish hemostasis in vivo. A lentivirus transfer vector equipped with the human ITGA2B gene promoter confined transgene expression to the platelet lineage. Human beta3 formed a stable complex with murine alphaIIb, effectively restoring platelet function. Mice expressing significant levels of alphaIIbbeta3 on circulating platelets exhibited improved bleeding times. Intravenous immunoglobulin effectively diminished platelet clearance in animals that developed an antibody response to alphaIIbbeta3. These results indicate the feasibility of targeting platelets with genetic therapies for better management of patients with inherited bleeding disorders.