Platelets are megakaryocyte subfragments that participate in hemostatic and host defense reactions and deliver proand antiangiogenic factors throughout the vascular system. Although they are anucleated cells that lack a complex secretory apparatus with distinct Golgi/ endoplasmic reticulum compartments, past studies have shown that platelets have glycosyltransferase activities. In the present study, we show that members of 3 distinct glycosyltransferase families are found within and on the surface of platelets. Immunocytology and flow cytometry results indicated that megakaryocytes package these Golgi-derived glycosyltransferases into vesicles that are sent via proplatelets to nascent platelets, where they accumulate. These glycosyltransferases are active, and intact platelets glycosylate large exogenous substrates. Furthermore, we show that activation of platelets results in the release of soluble glycosyltransferase activities and that platelets contain sufficient levels of sugar nucleotides for detection of glycosylation of exogenously added substrates. Therefore, the results of the present study show that blood platelets are a rich source of both glycosyltransferases and donor sugar substrates that can be released to function in the extracellular space. This plateletglycosylation machinery offers a pathway to a simple glycoengineering strategy improving storage of platelets and may serve hitherto unknown biologic functions. (Blood. 2012;120(3):626-635)
IntroductionGlycosylation of proteins and lipids has a wide range of biologic functions. 1 The glycosylation apparatus of nucleated cells is primarily located in the secretory pathway throughout the endoplasmic reticulum-Golgi stacks and consists of more than 200 glycosyltransferases, most of which are type II transmembrane-anchored proteins with distinct localization. Their topology within these compartments is directed by signal motifs contained in their stem, transmembrane, and cytoplasmic domains. 2,3 Golgi-located membrane-bound glycosyltransferases are believed to be retained in the appropriate compartments by coat protein I-mediated retrograde transport 3 and to be released and secreted only after proteolytic cleavage in their stalk regions to yield soluble, catalytically active truncated enzymes lacking their N-terminal transmembrane segment. 4 Several previous studies have described unusual subcellular localization of glycosyltransferases outside of their normal confinement to the endoplasmic reticulum-Golgi (referred to herein as ectopic localization). Methodologic ambiguities, however, have cast doubt on these findings. 5 One notable exception concerns reports of glycosyltransferase activities associated with blood platelets. [6][7][8][9][10][11] Platelets are anucleated megakaryocyte subfragments that participate in hemostatic, inflammatory, and host defense reactions. 12 Moreover, platelets deliver pro-and antiangiogenic factors throughout the vascular system. 12 Glycosyltransferase activities in platelets were described 30 years ago and are propo...