Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Biogenesis Of The Platelet Receptor For Fibrinogen: Evidence For Separate Precursors For Glycoproteins Iib And Iiia., Paul F. Bray, Jean-Philippe Rosa, Vishwanath R. Lingappa, Yuet W. Kan, Rodger P. Mcever, Marc A. Shuman

Cardeza Foundation for Hematologic Research

Congenital absence of platelet glycoproteins IIb and IIIa (GPIIb and GPIIIa) results in a severe bleeding disorder characterized by defective platelet aggregation and failure of fibrinogen to bind to platelets. GPIIb is a two-chain protein containing disulfide-linked alpha and beta subunits. GPIIb and GPIIIa are present as a heterodimeric, noncovalent complex in the platelet plasma membrane and function as the fibrinogen receptor. To characterize synthesis of these two proteins, RNA isolated from a human leukemia cell line that contains GPIIb and GPIIIa was translated in a wheat germ cell-free system. Polyclonal antibodies specific for each protein immunoprecipitated distinct [35S]methionine-labeled precursors, …