Formation of lysophosphatidylinositol in platelets stimulated with thrombin or ionophore A23187.

In stimulated platelets phosphatidylinositol is degraded by a phosphatidylinositol-specific phospholipase C to 1,2-diacylglycerol which is then phosphorylated to phosphatidic acid. Thrombin stimulation of horse and human platelets prelabeled with [32P]orthophosphate induces the formation of [32P]lysophosphatidylinositol, suggesting that phosphatidylinositol is also degraded by a phospholipase of A type activity. Stimulation of platelets prelabeled with 32P or with 32P plus [3H]inositol produces a lysophosphatidylinositol which has a 32P-specific activity and a 3H/32P ratio which has a 32P-specific activity and a 3H/32P ratio identical with those of phosphatidylinositol. These results suggest that the lysophosphatidylinositol derives from phosphatidylinositol. Thrombin stimulation of platelets double label with 32P and [3H]arachidonate induces loss of [3H]arachidonate from phosphatidylinositol and formation of [32P]lysophosphatidylinositol, suggesting the involvement of a phospholipase A2 activity. Ionophore A23187 also induces the formation of lysophosphatidylinositol in horse and human platelets. With either stimulus, [32P]lysophosphatidylinositol appears within seconds after stimulation and parallels the loss of [3H]arachidonic acid from phosphatidylinositol. The lysophosphatidylinositol produced by thrombin or by ionophore A23187 represents 40% of the degraded phosphatidylinositol as assessed by lipid phosphorus. Quinacrine, which inhibits the liberation of arachidonic acid from phospholipids, also blocks the formation of lysophosphatidylinositol. The results presented here indicate that phosphatidylinositol is degraded by both phospholipases, C and A2, in stimulated platelets.