Platelet glycoprotein IIb-IIIa is associated with 21-kDa GTP-binding protein

Platelet membrane glycoprotein IIb-IIIa has been widely studied in the last years because of its role as an activation-dependent, adhesive protein receptor. Recently we demonstrated that occupancy of glycoprotein IIb-IIIa-receptor sites by specific ligands exerts an inhibitory effect on platelet responses induced by mild stimulation, leading us to suppose that this event may interact with activation pathways. Although the mechanisms of signal transduction in human platelets are not completely elucidated, the hypothesis that GTP-binding proteins are involved is generally accepted. Our results demonstrate that platelet ConA receptors, known to be located mainly on GP IIb-IIIa, are able to bind [35S]GTP gamma S; the GTP-binding activity is specific and is due to the association with the receptors of two G-proteins, with apparent molecular masses of 25 and 21 kDa, respectively. After the purification of GP IIb-IIIa, a glycoprotein complex electrophoretically pure was obtained that was still associated with a GTP-binding activity, migrating in SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis as a narrow band of about 21 kDa.