The thrombopoietin (TPO) receptor is expressed in the megakaryocytic lineage from late progenitors to platelets. We investigated the effect of TPO on the extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) activation pathway in human platelets. TPO by itself did not activate ERK1, ERK2 and protein kinase C (PKC), whereas TPO directly enhanced the PKC-dependent activation of ERKs induced by other agonists including thrombin and phorbol esters, without affecting the PKC activation by those agonists. TPO did not activate the mitogen-activated protein kinase/ERK kinases, MEK1 and MEK2, but activated Raf-1 and directly augmented the PKC-mediated MEK activation, suggesting that TPO primarily potentiates the ERK pathway through regulating MEKs or upstream steps of MEKs including Raf-1. The MEK inhibitor PD098059 failed to affect not only thrombin-induced or phorbol ester-induced aggregation, but also potentiation of aggregation by TPO, denying the primary involvement of ERKs and MEKs in those events. ERKs and MEKs were located mainly in the detergent-soluble/non-cytoskeletal fractions. ERKs but not MEKs were relocated to the cytoskeleton following platelet aggregation and actin polymerization. These data indicate that TPO synergizes with other agonists in the ERK activation pathway of platelets and that this synergy might affect functions of the cytoskeleton possibly regulated by ERKs.Keywords : platelet; thrombopoietin; extracellular signal-regulated kinase ; protein kinase C; signal transduction.
Thrombopoietin (TPO) [1Ϫ4], also called the c-Mpl ligand or the megakaryocyte growth and development factor, is the newly identified cytokine that plays a critical role in megakaryocytopoiesis [5]. The TPO receptor, c-Mpl, is expressed in the megakaryocytic lineage from late progenitors to platelets [6]. Others and we have recently reported that TPO induces tyrosine phosphorylation of signaling molecules including Janus tyrosine kinases, JAK2 and Tyk2, Shc, STAT3 and STAT5 in platelets [7Ϫ14], and that TPO does not activate platelets by itself but potentiates other agonists-induced aggregation and release reaction [8, 9, 11Ϫ14].The extracellular signal-regulated kinases (ERKs), ERK1 and ERK2, are the prototypic members of the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) family and are activated by divergent extracellular stimuli [15Ϫ18]. The ERK signaling pathway through growth factor receptors or cytokine receptors has been well studied. Binding of ligands to receptors leads to activationCorrespondence to H. Takayama, Department of Hematology and Oncology, Clinical Sciences for Pathological Organs, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, 54 Shogoin-Kawaharacho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto, Japan 606-8507Fax: ϩ81 75 751 3201. E-mail: hiro@kuhp.kyoto-u.ac.jp Abbreviations. TPO, thrombopoietin; ERK, extracellular signal-regulated kinase; MAPK, mitogen-activated protein kinase; MEK, MAPK/ ERK kinase; PKC, protein kinase C; GST, glutathione S-transferase ; STA2, 9, 11-epithio-11, 12-methano-thromboxane A2; PMA, phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate ; ...