The Platelet High Affinity Binding Site for Thrombin Mimics Hirudin, Modulates Thrombin-induced Platelet Activation, and Is Distinct from the Glycoprotein Ib-IX-V Complex*

The platelet high affinity binding site for thrombin appears to be described by a classical receptor-ligand interaction that is distinct from the platelet thrombin receptor/substrate, PAR-1. However, the identification and function of the high affinity binding site with respect to its physiological importance have continued to elude investigators. Prior studies using two mutant thrombins suggested that thrombin interaction with the platelet high affinity binding site is mediated through an extensive portion of the thrombin molecule involving residues within the substrate binding pocket and the anion binding exosite (Leong, L., Henriksen, R. A., Kermode, J. C., Rittenhouse, S. E., and Tracy, P. B. (1992) Biochemistry 31, 2567–2575) and may mimic a thrombin-hirudin interaction. To test this hypothesis, an anti-hirudin peptide antibody (anti-hirpeptide Ab) was raised against a peptide mimicking the COOH terminus of hirudin. The Ab recognized adherent platelets and those in suspension as determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and immunofluorescence microscopy, respectively.125I-Thrombin binding to platelets was inhibited in the presence of the anti-hirpeptide Ab in a dose-dependent manner with maximal inhibition >90%. Analyses of data from binding studies of 125I-thrombin to platelets at a fixed Ab concentration indicated that the anti-hirpeptide Ab inhibited the high affinity binding interaction exclusively. In addition, thrombin-induced increases in platelet [Ca2+] i were enhanced by blocking the high affinity binding site with the Ab due to redistribution of the agonist to PAR-1. Thrombin Quick I-induced platelet calcium mobilization was unaffected by the presence of the Ab, consistent with the inability of thrombin Quick I to bind to the high affinity site. Even though glycoprotein (GP) Ib contains a hirudin-like region within the α subunit, the postulated high affinity binding site, direct binding of 125I-thrombin could not be demonstrated to transfected Chinese hamster ovary and L cells expressing the GP Ib-IX-V complex. Furthermore, an anti-GP Ib Ab, raised to the peptide region proposed as the thrombin high affinity site, did not enhance thrombin-induced platelet calcium mobilization. The anti-hirpeptide Ab recognized a population of platelet membrane proteins distinct from PAR-1 and GP Ib by three-color immunofluorescence using confocal microscopy. These combined studies demonstrate that the high affinity binding site for thrombin is a unique platelet protein distinct from GP Ib which modulates the effective thrombin concentration localized at the human platelet surface.