Increased expression of phosphatidylinositol-specific phospholipase C resistant prion proteins on the surface of activated platelets.

The surface expression of prion protein (PrP(C)) on human platelets, as detected by flow cytometry with the monoclonal antibody 3F4, increased more than two-fold (4300 v 1800 molecules/platelet) after full activation. Maximal surface expression of PrP(C) occurred within 3 min of platelet activation and declined to approximately half of maximal levels by 2 h at 37 degrees C. In comparison, PrP(C) on the surface of platelets, activated at 22 degrees C took 10 min to reach maximum but then remained constant for 2 h. In sonicated resting platelets, PrP(C) and P-selectin remained in intact granules after subcellular fractionation. Both glycoproteins were found in the ruptured membranes of activated platelets, suggesting that the PrP(C) was translocated from internal granules to the plasma membrane during activation, as is P-selectin. Platelet PrP(C) was not removed from the surface of platelets by phosphatidylinositol-specific phospholipase C (PIPLC) treatment but was degraded by proteinase K. Platelets may serve as a useful model for following the cellular processing of PrP(C).