Acyl specificity of phospholipases A2 and C in thrombin-stimulated human platelets
Related Experiment Video
Updated: Oct 2, 2026

Procoagulant Platelet Characterization by Measuring Phosphatidylserine Exposure and Microvesicle Release from Human Purified Platelets
Published on: November 29, 2024
Yoseph Tsegaye1, Knut Olav Daasvatn, Holm Holmsen
1Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway.
Abstract:
Platelets were labelled separately with six different, radioactive unsaturated fatty acids. The cells were isolated from the radioactive precursors and treated with and without 2 U/ml of thrombin. The formation of radioactive free fatty acid+oxygenated fatty acids and of radioactive radioactive phosphatidic acid+diacylglycerol was taken as a measure of the PLA(2) and PLC reactions, respectively. We found that that in intact platelets PLA(2) prefers phospholipid molecular species containing unsaturated acyls, most likely in the sn-2 position, in the priority order: 20:4>20:5>18:2 = 18:3 = 22:6>>18:1, while PLC prefers its substrates in the priority order 20:5>20:4>18:2>18:3 = 22:6>18:1.
Related Concept Videos
Antiplatelet Drugs: Prostaglandin Synthesis, P2Y12 and Glycoprotein IIb/IIIa Inhibitors
Prostaglandin synthesis inhibitors, exemplified by the widely known aspirin, wield their power by irreversibly acetylating...
Formation of the Platelet Plug
As the injured blood vessel contracts, endothelial cells undergo contraction, revealing collagen fibers in the basement membrane and underlying connective tissue. Furthermore, the plasma membrane of endothelial cells becomes adhesive, preparing the site for platelet adhesion. Platelets...
Clot Retraction and Fibrinolysis
Structure and Function of Platelets
Platelets are continually replenished, circulating in the bloodstream for 9-12 days before being removed by phagocytes, primarily in the spleen. A microliter of circulating blood contains between 150,000 and 450,000 platelets, with...
Anticoagulant Drugs: Low-Molecular-Weight Heparins
Intracellular Signaling Affects Focal Adhesions
Some...

