Resting platelets contain a substantial centrally located pool of glycoprotein IIb-IIIa complex which may be accessible to some but not other extracellular proteins.

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Recent evidence suggests the presence in resting platelets of centrally located compartments of glycoprotein (GP) IIb-IIIa. We have employed an experimental procedure which dissociates and antigenically denatures the surface compartment of GP IIb-IIIa and allows internal compartments of GP IIb-IIIa to be studied immunochemically and functionally in intact platelets. When gel-filtered platelets are incubated with 0.25 mM EGTA at 37 degrees C for 30 min, and then supplemented for 30 min with 5 mM calcium, they lose their ability to bind GP IIb-IIIa complex-specific monoclonal antibody Fab fragments. However, when such platelets are subsequently stimulated with thrombin, GP IIb-IIIa-specific Fabs are again able to bind in large amounts to the platelet surface, in concert with the appearance of substantial amounts of receptors for fibrinogen and fibronectin. In immunoprecipitation experiments, we have found that this thrombin-displayed pool of GP IIb-IIIa originates from a pool that is not labeled by lactoperoxidase-catalyzed radioiodination of intact resting platelets. In immunofluorescence experiments, we have found that EGTA-incubated platelets contain a large sequestered internal pool of GP IIb-IIIa which upon thrombin stimulation is translocated to the platelet surface. Additional experiments suggest that this centrally located compartment may be surface connected in resting platelets and that it is accessible to some extracellular proteins, but not others.