Purification of the thromboxane A2/prostaglandin H2 receptor from human blood platelets

S-145 (5Z-7-(3-endo-phenylsulfonylamino-(2.2.1.)-bicyclohept -2-exo-yl) heptenoic acid) is a potent and selective antagonist for thromboxane A2/prostaglandin H2 receptor. Using this compound as an immobilized ligand for affinity chromatography and [3H]S-145 as a radioligand, we have purified the thromboxane A2/prostaglandin H2 receptor from the membranes of human blood platelets. The purification procedures consisted of solubilization of the receptor with 3-[(3-cholamidopropyl)dimethylammonio]-1-propanesulfonate (CHAPS), affinity chromatographies on columns of S-145 affinity gel, wheat germ agglutinin agarose and red agarose, and repeated gel filtration high performance liquid chromatography on a TSK gel G-3000SW column. On the second gel filtration high performance liquid chromatography, the [3H]S-145 binding activity was eluted as a symmetrical peak which overlapped exactly with a peak of ultraviolet absorption at 280 nm. By these procedures, the receptor was purified about 8700-fold from the solubilized extract with a recovery of 6%. The final preparation showed a broad protein band at Mr 57,000 on sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and maximally bound 19.2 nmol of [3H]S-145/mg protein with a Kd of 29.8 nM. The [3H]S-145 binding to the purified receptor was specifically displaced by several thromboxane A2/prostaglandin H2 analogues.