SummaryFive lactose-specific lectins from snake venoms were tested for the ability to stimulate the aggregation of human platelets. Three of the lectins, bushmaster (Lachesis muta), cottonmouth (Aricistrodon piscivorous leukostoma) and rattlesnake (Crotalus atrox) lectins, consistently stimulated secretion and aggregation. Thrombolectin (Bothrops atrox) occasionally caused aggregation. Copperhead (Agkistrodon contortrix contortrix) lectin did not by itself cause platelet aggregation. Lactose, a specific inhibitor of hemagglutination mediated by these lectins was a potent inhibitor of lectin-induced aggregation. Antiserum specific for bushmaster lectin inhibited aggregation by bushmaster lectin. In contrast, the same antiserum and anti-cottonmouth lectin serum enhanced aggregation by low levels of the other lectins.A variety of substances were assayed in the aggregometer for the ability to inhibit aggregation in response to these lectins. Both secretion and aggregation were inhibited by PGI2 and PGEx. Furthermore, lectin-induced aggregation was completely blocked by trifluoperazine and partially blocked by indomethacin. Monoclonal antibodies specific for GP IIb/IIIa (AP2, A2A9, LJP5, LJCP8) but not monoclonals directed against other platelet membrane proteins (API and AP3) inhibited lectin-induced aggregation. The peptide Arg-Gly-Asp-Ser but not Arg-Ala-Asp-Ser was a potent inhibitor of aggregation.

SummaryThe proposal that thrombospondin is the endogenous platelet lectin was evaluated using antisera and monoclonal antibodies to thrombospondin. The platelet-bound hemagglutinin activity of human platelets stimulated with A23187 was inhibited by rabbit anti-thrombospondin sera and by a monoclonal anti-thrombospondin IgG. A second monoclonal IgG did not inhibit platelet- bound agglutinin activity. Preparations of purified platelet thrombospondin differed in their hemagglutination activities. The hemagglutination activity of an active preparation of thrombospondin was inhibited by the monoclonal antibody that inhibited platelet-bound lectin activity. The hemagglutination activity of an almost inactive preparation of thrombospondin was enhanced by the anti-thrombospondin monoclonal antibody that did not block platelet-bound lectin activity. The results demonstrate that expression of the platelet-bound form of the endogenous lectin is thrombospondin-dependent and suggest that thrombospondin must become part of a larger complex, either by binding to the platelet surface or by becoming aggregated in solution, before hemagglutination activity can be expressed.

We previously reported that a peptide with the sequence Gly-Ala-Pro-Leu (GAPL) found as residues 309-312 in glycoprotein IIb alpha (GPIIb) comprises at least part of a Fg binding site on GPIIb (1). Subsequent studies demonstrated that a peptide corresponding to residues 300-312 of GPIIb alpha can bind to Fg and Vn, and is a potent inhibitor of platelet aggregation and the adhesion of activated platelets to at least four adhesive ligands: Fg, Fn, Vn, and vWf (2). Here, the production and initial characterization of polyclonal antibodies against this peptide are described. ELISAs and dot-blot assays reveal the specificity of the antibodies for the peptide immunogen. In immunoblots, the antibodies recognize GPIIb under reducing conditions. The binding of Fg to immobilized GPIIb/IIIa, the rate of clot retraction and the adhesion of stimulated platelets to Fg, fibronectin (Fn), vitronectin (Vn), and von Willebrand factor (vWf) were inhibited by these antibodies, but not by a control IgG. These results together with our earlier published data indicate that GPIIb alpha (300-312) comprises at least part of a common ligand binding site within the integrin alpha IIb subunit.

Antiplatelet agents are clinically useful as antithrombotic entities. The importance of antiplatelet agents led us to design, synthesize, and characterize a new antiplatelet peptide. This peptide is a presumptive mimic of a ligand binding site on the platelet fibrinogen receptor. Unlike peptides related to Arg-Gly-Asp-Ser and His-His-Leu-Gly-Gly-Ala-Lys-Gln-Ala-Gly-Asp-Val that bind to the fibrinogen receptor, this peptide binds to fibrinogen. The anticomplementarity hypothesis was used to design this presumptive peptide mimic of the vitronectin binding site on the fibrinogen receptor, glycoprotein IIb/IIIa complexes. The resulting peptide (Glu-His-Ile-Pro-Ala) has the characteristics of a fibrinogen binding site mimic: It binds fibrinogen and inhibits both the adhesion of platelets to fibrinogen and platelet aggregation. The peptide also inhibits the adhesion of platelets to vitronectin. The antiplatelet activity of this mimic peptide was dependent on its amino acid sequence, since closely related analogues were either inactive or less active inhibitors of platelet function than the original peptide. These results demonstrate that the peptide Glu-His-Ile-Pro-Ala has the characteristics expected of a mimic of a glycoprotein IIb/IIIa ligand binding site.