Glycoprotein receptor mediated regulation of platelet morphology

Spreading platelets sequentially form filopodia, lamellipodia, and stress fibres. This thesis demonstrates the formation of each actin structure in spread platelets, and in addition the formation of a novel actin structure, which I have termed an actin nodule. Actin nodules require Src kinase activation, and actin polymerisation, but are negatively correlated to ROCK and myosin-II activation. This thesis has investigated the role of WAVE-l, Rho kinase (ROCK) and myosin-II in spreading and aggregate stability in vitro and in vivo. ROCK or myosin-II inhibition, prevents stress fibre formation leading to appearance of splits and holes (termed fenestrations) in spread platelets on collagen. In addition, ROCK or myosin-II inhibition compromises aggregate stability on collagen at arterial rates of flow. Lamellipodia formation is inhibited in WAVE-rl - platelets spread on CRP, whilst shape change and aggregation downstream of GPVI is severely disrupted. However, GPCR agonists induce full lamellipodia formation on fibrinogen in WAVE-I-I. Aggregate formation on collagen under arterial rates of flow is unaffected further indicating . WAVE-2 can compensate for WAVE-I. Thus, WAVE-l maybe differentially regulated downstream of GPCR and glycoprotein signalling. The actin regulatory proteins, Spin-90, Β-Pix and Nck are tyrosine phosphorylated by multiple platelet agonists, but do not form a complex upon platelet adhesion. However, B-Pix is heavily phosphorylated downstream of the collagen receptor integrin, a2BI. I speculate B-Pix may play an important role in connecting PLCyl to Rac activation