Concurrent signaling from Galphaq- and Galphai-coupled pathways is essential for agonist-induced alphavbeta3 activation on human platelets.

The integrin alphavbeta3 mediates platelet adhesion to the matrix protein osteopontin and likely is the predominant integrin mediating platelet adhesion to the matrix protein vitronectin. To address the mechanism that regulates alphavbeta3 activity in platelets, we measured the effect of the P2Y1 antagonist adenosine 3'-phosphate-5'-phosphate (A3P5P) and the P2Y12 antagonist AR-C66096 on ADP-stimulated platelet adhesion to osteopontin and vitronectin. Each antagonist completely inhibited platelet adhesion, implying that concurrent stimulation of P2Y1 and P2Y12 was required to activate alphavbeta3. The reducing agent dithiothreitol and Mn2+ also induced platelet adhesion to osteopontin, but did so without stimulating platelet activation. Thus, these data suggest that ADP stimulation regulates alphavbeta3 activity by perturbing the conformation of its extracellular domain. The actin polymerization inhibitors cytochalasin D and latrunculin A also induced platelet adhesion to osteopontin and vitronectin. Thus, alphavbeta3 activity in resting platelets appears to be constrained by the platelet cytoskeleton. Moreover, the effect of these agents was inhibited by A3P5P and AR-C66096 at micromolar and subnanomolar concentrations, respectively, suggesting that subthreshold platelet stimulation by ADP was required. Our data suggest that signals from both Galphaq- and Galphai-coupled receptors converge to release cytoskeletal constraints on alphavbeta3. We propose that the release of cytoskeletal constraints and a concurrent increase in affinity for ligands is responsible for alphavbeta3-mediated platelet adhesion.