Dynamic redistribution of glycoprotein Ib/IX on surface-activated platelets. A second look.

The present study has re-evaluated the mobility of glycoprotein Ib/IX (GPIb/IX), the von Willebrand factor receptor, on surface-activated platelets. A previous report employing immunogold cytochemistry with monoclonal and polyclonal antibodies specific for GPIb/IX concluded that the receptor remained stabilized in plasma membranes and did not move during platelet attachment and spreading on formvar grids, despite the observation that immunogold particles marking GPIb/IX were missing from peripheral margins and pseudopods of the surface-activated platelets. Addition of thrombin to surface-activated, spread platelets freed GPIb/IX from its anchor to the membrane and stimulated movement of receptor-ligand complexes into caps over centers of spread platelets. In our investigation, surface-activated platelets, stimulated or not by thrombin, were fixed in a higher concentration of glutaraldehyde than used by the earlier workers before exposure to monoclonal or polyclonal antibody to GPIb/IX, after incubation with the antibody, but before treatment with the immunogold marker, protein A gold (PAG), or after both antibody and PAG. When fixed before exposure to antibody and PAG, GPIb/IX receptors were dispersed evenly over dendritic and spread platelets from edge to edge, including peripheral margins and pseudopods. Thrombin had no influence on distribution of the receptors. Exposure to antiglycocalicin antibody before fixation caused movement of GPIb/IX receptors from peripheral margins of spread cells and pseudopods of dendritic forms. Thrombin treatment did not enhance the movement. Fixation after exposure of surface-activated platelets, treated or not with thrombin, to antibody and PAG caused movement of GPIb/IX receptors into caps over cell centers. Results indicate that central movement of GPIb/IX receptors is unrelated to surface activation, spreading, or thrombin stimulation. Rather, the translocation is caused by the antiglycocalicin antibody and accentuated by PAG.