Lipoprotein Receptor-C(k) Activation -Response Coupling in Human Platelets

Platelet activity has been widely recognised to be governed by various agonists through their specific receptors responsible for the initiation of signal transduction pathways. Keeping in view the paradoxical role of lipoproteins in platelet activation, various investigations were directed to explore the possibility that platelets, like other cells, may possess functional receptors specific for the apoprotein moiety in lipoproteins. These investigations led to the discovery of a novel platelet lipoprotein receptor-C(k) which not only has a high affinity for the cholesterol moiety in lipoproteins but also has the ability to initiate a phospholipase D - dependent signalling pathway which may be responsible for the lipoprotein-dependent platelet activation-response coupling.