Feedback Regulation of Syk by Protein Kinase C in Human Platelets

The spleen tyrosine kinase (Syk) is essential for immunoreceptor tyrosine-based activation motif (ITAM)-dependent platelet activation, and it is stimulated by Src-family kinase (SFK)-/Syk-mediated phosphorylation of Y352 (interdomain-B) and Y525/526 (kinase domain). Additional sites for Syk phosphorylation and protein interactions are known but remain elusive. Since Syk S297 phosphorylation (interdomain-B) was detected in platelets, we hypothesized that this phosphorylation site regulates Syk activity via protein kinase C (PKC)-and cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP)-dependent pathways. ADP, the GPVI-agonist convulxin, and the GPIbα-agonist echicetin beads (EB) were used to stimulate human platelets with/without effectors. Platelet aggregation and intracellular messengers were analyzed, along with phosphoproteins, by immunoblotting using phosphosite-specific antibodies or phos-tags. ADP, convulxin, and EB upregulated Syk S297 phosphorylation, which was inhibited by iloprost (cAMP pathway). Convulxin-stimulated Syk S297 phosphorylation was stoichiometric, transient, abolished by the PKC inhibitor GF109203X, and mimicked by the PKC activator PDBu. Convulxin/EB stimulated Syk S297, Y352, and Y525/526 phosphorylation, which was inhibited by SFK and Syk inhibitors. GFX and iloprost inhibited convulxin/EB-induced Syk S297 phosphorylation but enhanced Syk tyrosine (Y352/Y525/526) and substrate (linker adaptor for T cells (LAT), phospholipase γ2 (PLC γ2)) phosphorylation. GFX enhanced convulxin/EB-increases of inositol monophosphate/Ca²⁺. ITAM-activated Syk stimulates PKC-dependent Syk S297 phosphorylation, which is reduced by SFK/Syk/PKC inhibition and cAMP. Inhibition of Syk S297 phosphorylation coincides with enhanced Syk activation, suggesting that S297 phosphorylation represents a mechanism for feedback inhibition in human platelets.