Calpain Regulates ADAM17-Mediated Platelet Glycoprotein Ibalpha Ectodomain Shedding.

The interaction of platelet glycoprotein (GP) Ibalpha with von Willebrand factor (VWF) exposed at the injured vessel wall initiates platelet adhesion and thrombus formation. Thus GPIbalpha ectodomain shedding has important implications for thrombosis and hemostasis. A disintegrin and metalloproteinase 17 (ADAM17) was identified recently to play an essential role in agonist induced GPIbalpha shedding. Calpain, the calcium-dependent neutral protease, has been thought to play a key role in GPIbalpha shedding, whereas it still remains unclear the role of calpain in ADAM17-mediated GPIbalpha shedding.

Washed platelets isolated from vein blood of healthy donors were pre-incubated with various reagents. GPIbalpha fragments were detected by Western blot with anti- GPIbalpha C- or N-terminal antibodies. GPIbalpha surface expression was determined by flow cytometry with anti-GPIbalpha N-terminal antibody.

Western blot and flow cytometry results showed that cell permeable calpain inhibitors, MDL 28170, calpain inhibit I and calpain inhibitor II, significantly reduced calmodulin inhibitor W7- and calcium ionophore A23187-induced GPIbalpha shedding. Dibucaine induced GPIbalpha shedding was potently inhibited by calpain inhibitors. W7 and A23187 induced talin cleavage was abolished by calpain inhibitors. Calpain inhibitors had no obvious effect on N-ethylmaleimide-induced GPIbalpha shedding. In order to investigate the role of protein kinase C (PKC) in calpain-mediated GPIbalpha shedding, calpain inhibitors or PKC inhibitor (bisindolylmaleimide I hydrochloride, BIM) were incubated with platelets respectively, and then platelets were further incubated with PKC activator phorbol-ester (PMA) or dibucaine. PMA-induced or dibucaine-mediated GPIbalpha shedding did not inhibit by calpain inhibitors or PKC inhibitor respectively, indicating that PKC is not involved in calpain-mediated GPIbalpha shedding. In addition, two CHO cell lines expressing wild-type GPIb-IX and GPIb-IX mutant with truncated GPIbalpha lacking filamin A binding site were used to test the role of filamin A in calpain-regulated GPIbalpha shedding. Dibucaine-induced GPIbalpha shedding was inhibited by MDL28170 in both of the cell lines.

The data indicate that calpain plays key roles in ADAM17-mediated GPIbalpha ectodomain shedding and the calpain-regualted GPIbalpha shedding is independent of PKC activity or filamin A cleavage.

No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.