Sulfation of guinea pig megakaryocyte and platelet proteins

This study has explored the sulfation of proteins by guinea pig megakaryocytes and platelets and by human platelets. Guinea pig megakaryocytes were incubated in vitro with [35S]sulfate, and the sulfated proteins were separated from proteoglycans by DEAE-Sephacel chromatography and analyzed by SDS-PAGE. The megakaryocytes esterified sulfate to a number of proteins, with the most extensive label migrating at M(r) 42,000, and a second heavily labeled band at M(r) 103,000 in the 0.1 M NaCl DEAE eluate, and 50 and 180 kDa in the 0.23 M NaCl eluate. [35S]-Labeled GPlb alpha was immunoprecipitated from megakaryocyte Triton X-100 extracts. Guinea pig platelet proteins were labeled in vivo by injection of the animals with a single dose of H2(35)SO4. The platelets were activated with thrombin, and cytoskeletal proteins were isolated after treatment of the activated platelets with Triton X-100. About 20% of the platelet macromolecule-associated [35S]sulfate was incorporated into sulfated proteins, which were recovered primarily in the cytoskeleton. The cytoskeleton-associated sulfate radiolabel migrated on SDS-PAGE primarily with actin and additionally with several higher molecular weight proteins. A M(r) 42,000 [35S]-labeled protein was immunoprecipitated by a monoclonal anti-actin antibody, along with molecules of M(r) 160,000 and 180,000 and some higher M(r) material, from the megakaryocytes labeled in vitro with [35S]sulfate. Actin was labeled on 2D isoelectric focusing/SDS-PAGE gels. In addition, there was a very acidic series of heavily [35S]-labeled 42 kDa proteins with about eight components of different isoelectric points with a pattern identical to the M(r) 40,000 cytoskeletal-associated glycoprotein Pltpg40 isolated by Hildreth et al. (1991, Blood 77:121). We hypothesize that sulfation of the cytoskeletal proteins might be involved in cytoskeletal protein interactions and function.