A complex of platelet glycoproteins Ic and IIa identified by a rat monoclonal antibody.

A rat monoclonal antibody, GoH3, recognizes cell surface antigens on epithelial cells in a variety of tissues in both man and mouse. Furthermore, the antibody showed reactivity with endothelial cells and blood platelets. The molecule recognized by GoH3 on platelets was determined by immunoprecipitation, followed by analysis on one- and two-dimensional sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gels. GoH3 precipitated glycoproteins Ic and IIa from both human and mouse platelets. Glycoprotein Ic consists of disulfide-linked heavy and light chains which both appeared to be glycosylated. As determined by enzymatic digestion followed by gel analyses, both "complex" and "high mannose" type of N-linked oligosaccharides are present on the heavy and light chain of human glycoprotein Ic and on the heavy chain of mouse glycoprotein Ic. The light chain of mouse glycoprotein Ic only carries high mannose type of N-linked oligosaccharides. The N-linked glycans on human and mouse glycoprotein IIa are all of the complex type. The glycoproteins Ic and IIa co-sedimented in sucrose gradients and formed complexes upon treatment of intact platelets with the chemical cross-linking reagent dithiobis(succinimidyl propionate). Dissociation of the complex by chaotropic agents followed by immunoprecipitation establishes that the epitope recognized by GoH3 is located on the Ic molecule. These results provide evidence that the two glycoproteins, Ic and IIa, exist as a heterodimer complex in the platelet membrane.