Incorporation of intravenously injected albumin, immunoglobulin G, and fibrinogen in guinea pig megakaryocyte granules.

In a previous study we provide evidence for a circuitous pathway by which circulating plasma proteins enter megakaryocyte granules by an endocytic mechanism and are returned to the circulation in platelets (1987. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA. 84:861-865). Horseradish peroxidase (40,000 mol wt) was injected into guinea pigs and its uptake into megakaryocyte organelles examined by electron microscopy and cytochemistry. In the present study we tested the ability of guinea pig megakaryocytes to take up intravenously injected albumin, IgG, and fibrinogen. We used two types of proteins to study the endocytic pathway: (a) heterologous human proteins, which were detected immunohistochemically using antibodies that do not crossreact with the native guinea pig counterparts; and (b) human and guinea pig proteins labeled with the small (250 mol wt), inert molecule, biotin, which were detected using an antibody against biotin. We detected all three of the injected proteins in bone marrow megakaryocytes in patterns identical to those of native counterparts. The injected protein consistently appeared in platelets 24 h later and was secreted in response to thrombin. We conclude that there are at least two mechanisms by which guinea pig megakaryocyte granules acquire proteins (a) endogenous synthesis, as demonstrated by others, and (b) endocytosis of plasma proteins synthesized by other types of cells.