[Platelet membrane glycoproteins and the molecular mechanisms of hereditary platelet dysfunction]

Glycoproteins, present on the outer surface of platelets, function in the aggregating and releasing reactions of these cells. Some of the hereditary diseases of platelet dysfunction, such as, thrombasthenia and Bernard-Soulier syndrome, have been shown to result from defects in some of these glycoproteins. Recent advances in molecular biology have enabled us to analyze the genes which encode the defective glycoproteins in these patients. The information from these studies also helps us to understand in detail the function of the glycoproteins. At present, the major glycoproteins, GP II b/IIIa and GP I b/IX, have been studied extensively and we know the details of the mechanisms through which they function. However, as to the minor glycoproteins, GP I a/II a, GP IV and GP VI, details remain to be elucidated.