The dephosphorylating enzyme alkaline phosphatase, by removing phosphate groups from the external platelet membrane proteins, modulates platelet activation (Hatmi, M., Haye, B., Gavaret, J. M., Vargaftig, B. B., and Jacquemin, C. 32 P]ATP, indicating that the latter occurred at the outer surface of the cells. Prostacyclin, which induces the increase of intracellular cAMP levels and, consequently, its liberation into the extracellular medium, increased phosphorylation of both kemptide and platelet 88-kDa polypeptide. The major protein of 88-kDa, which was phosphorylated in the presence of cAMP and external [␥-32 P]ATP, was identified by immunoprecipitation to GPIV (CD36), one of thrombospondin and collagen binding sites on platelets. The phosphorylation of CD36 also occurred in platelet-rich plasma, suggesting a physiological role for this ectoenzyme.In the present study, we clearly demonstrate the presence of an ectoprotein kinase A activity at the surface of intact human platelets, and we revealed its principal endogenous substrate as being CD36.The cell surface is directly involved in cell-cell interaction through receptors for extracellular signals. The phosphorylation and dephosphorylation of proteins are critical to the regulation of cellular functions, particularly in blood platelets (4 -7). The dephosphorylating enzyme alkaline phosphatase, which removes phosphate groups from the external platelet membrane, prevents platelet aggregation and secretion by thromboxane mimetics (1). In addition, acid phosphatases that dephosphorylate the ectodomain of CD36, a collagen and thrombospondin receptor, decreased platelet aggregation to collagen and ADP (8). Also, ATP, the cosubstrate for phosphorylation, is secreted by activated platelets from storage granules. Extracellular ATP is known to exert an inhibitory effect on platelet activation by competing with adenosine diphosphate, increasing intracellular cAMP levels and probably phosphorylating surface platelet proteins (9). The expression at the platelet surface of protein kinase and phosphatase activities may thus be an important mechanism for the regulation of platelet functions. Naik et al. (10) have reported protein kinase and phosphatase activities on the membrane surface of human platelets, which rapidly phosphorylated and dephosphorylated 39-and 42-kDa proteins, whose function was undetermined.It is well known that intracellular protein kinase A (PKA) 1 is also important in the regulation of various platelet functions (11-13), but ecto-PKA activity in the plasma membrane has not been demonstrated in blood platelets. The rate-limiting step for the ectophosphorylation activity depends on ATP and presumably on cAMP. ATP and other nucleotides, including cAMP, are intracellular constituents that may be released from platelets under well described conditions (14).The objective of this study was first to investigate the existence of a PKA activity at the outer surface of platelets, using a specific synthetic substrate (kemptide) and the specific natural inhibitor ...