Platelet shape change induced by thrombin receptor activation. Rapid stimulation of tyrosine phosphorylation of novel protein substrates through an integrin- and Ca(2+)-independent mechanism.

Activation of human platelets by the peptide YFLLRNP has been shown to induce shape change but not secretion, Ca2+ mobilization, or pleckstrin phosphorylation (Rasmussen, U.B., Gachet, C., Schlesinger, Y., Hanau, D., Ohlmann, P., Van Obberghen-Schilling, E., Pouyssegur, J., Cazenave, J.P., and Pavirani, A. (1993) J. Biol. Chem. 268, 14322-14328). YFLLRNP was added to washed human platelets that had been pretreated with EGTA at 37 degrees C or preincubated with the fibrinogen receptor antagonist RGDS to preclude the activation of the integrin alpha IIb beta 3 (fibrinogen receptor). YFLLRNP induced shape change and stimulated the tyrosine phosphorylation of proteins of 62, 68, and 130 kDa within 7 s. Tyrosine phosphorylation of these proteins reached maximum levels (2-3-fold) 15-30 s after addition of YFLLRNP and decreased subsequently. The chelation of intracellular Ca2+ by BAPTA-AM decreased basal tyrosine protein phosphorylation but did not inhibit the increase of tyrosine phosphorylation of P62, P68, and P130 or the shape change induced by YFLLRNP. Preincubation of platelets with the tyrosine kinase inhibitors genistein or tyrphostin A23 completely inhibited platelet shape change and protein tyrosine phosphorylation induced by YFLLRNP. The inactive structural analogs daidzein and tyrphostin A1 were barely inhibitory. P62, P68, and P130, which exhibited increased tyrosine phosphorylation upon stimulation with YFLLRNP, were found in the cytoskeleton. P130 was not identical to vinculin or the focal adhesion kinase pp125FAK. The results indicate that stimulation of G-protein-coupled thrombin receptors rapidly induces protein tyrosine kinase activation through a Ca(2+)- and integrin-independent mechanism. Protein tyrosine kinase activation and tyrosine phosphorylation of novel protein substrates seem to play an essential role in the induction of platelet shape change.