Evidence that the central region of glycoprotein IIIa participates in integrin receptor function

We have obtained evidence that the ligand-recognition region of the integrin beta-subunit, platelet glycoprotein IIIa (GPIIIa), is discontinuous. Receptor function can be localized to residues near the N-terminus and to the central region of the polypeptide chain. The epitope recognized by our monoclonal antibody, CS-1, which substantially inhibits fibrin(ogen) binding to ADP- and thrombin-stimulated platelets [Ramsamooj, Doellgast & Hantgan (1990) Thromb. Res. 58, 577-592], is contained within residues 349-422 of GPIIIa. This sequence is adjacent to a proteinase-resistant domain of GPIIIa which is linked by disulphide bond(s) to an N-terminal segment near to the putative Arg-Gly-Asp recognition site [D'Souza, Ginsberg, Burke, Lam & Plow (1988) Science 242, 91-93]. Limited trypsin digestion of purified platelet GPIIIa yielded a mixture of two-chain molecules comprised of an N-terminal fragment disulphide-bonded to one of four fragments, which began at residues 299, 303, 353 or 423. Tryptic cleavage of the 300-422 segment correlated with loss of immunoreactivity with anti-GPIIIa monoclonal antibody, CS-1. Chymotrypsin cleavage of GPIIIa resulted in an N-terminal 19 kDa fragment joined by at least one intrachain cystine residue to a 46 kDa polypeptide beginning at residue 349. Partial reduction with dithiothreitol released the larger chymotryptic fragment with its epitope for CS-1 intact. These results have enabled us to localize the epitope recognized by our inhibitory monoclonal antibody, CS-1, to residues 349-422 of GPIIIa. Our data are consistent with a structure in which both the N-terminal and central regions of GPIIIa, which may be in close proximity in the functional GPIIb-IIIa complex, participate in ligand binding.