REQUIREMENT FOR THROMBIN RECEPTOR OCCUPANY DURING PLATELET SECRETION UNDER AGGREGATING CONDITIONS

We have previously showed that hirudin abruptly arrests thrombin-induced secretion of acid hydrolase at any stage of its progress, whereas it only affects dense granule secretion only at its initial stages; these results have been interpreted to show that acid hydrolase secretion requires sustained while dense granule secreion ony requires a brief receptor occupancy (Holmsen et al. JBC 256(1981)9393). The requirement for receptor occupancy in thrombin-induced α-granule secretion and secretion during aggregation have been studied. Increasing concentrations of thrombin were added to gel-fitered platelets containing a constant, high concentration of hirudin. Dense granule secretion was initiated at lower thrombin concentration than those required for α-granule secretion and aggregation; acid hydrolase secretion required higher concentrations. A 14-fold exess of hirudin produced abrupt stop of dense granule secretion and α-granule secretion when added to platelets shortly after thrombin; it had no affect after these secretory process had reached 30% of their maximal values. Acid hydrolase secretion was, however, abruptly stopped by hirudin at any stage. When the platelets were allowed to aggregate, all three secretory processes increased their rates and could now be abruptly stopped by hirudin at any stage. Aggregation (optical) occurred slower than dense granule andoαgranule secretion, and was reversed by hirudin when added before it had reached 30% of its maximum. It is concluded thatαgranule secretion, like dense granule secretion, only requires a short receptor occupancy to be completed, in contrast to the requirement for sustained occupancy for hydrolase secretion.α-granule secretion might, however, require longer occupancy than dense granule secretion. It is possible that aggregation potentiates all secretory responses through close cell contact and that the abrupt inhibition by hirudin of all secretions may have been caused by its effect on the slower aggregation.