Rationale:
Ca
2+
signaling is a key and ubiquitous actor of cell organization and its modulation controls many cellular responses. Sarco-endoplasmic reticulum Ca
2+
-ATPases (SERCAs) pump Ca
2+
into internal stores that play a major role in the cytosolic Ca
2+
concentration rise upon cell activation. Platelets exhibit 2 types of SERCAs, SERCA2b and SERCA3, which may exert specific roles, yet ill-defined. We have recently shown that Ca
2+
mobilization from SERCA3-dependent stores was required for full platelet activation in weak stimulation conditions.
Objective:
To uncover the signaling mechanisms associated with Ca
2+
mobilization from SERCA3-dependent stores leading to ADP secretion.
Methods and Results:
Using platelets from wild-type or SERCA3-deficient mice, we demonstrated that an early (within 5 to 10 seconds following stimulation) secretion of ADP specifically dependent on SERCA3 stored Ca
2+
is exclusively mobilized by nicotinic acid adenosine dinucleotide phosphate (NAADP): both Ca
2+
mobilization from SERCA3-dependent stores and primary ADP secretion are blocked by the NAADP receptor antagonist Ned-19, and reciprocally both are stimulated by permeant NAADP. In contrast, Ca
2+
mobilization from SERCA3-dependent stores and primary ADP secretion were unaffected by inhibition of the production of inositol-1,4,5-trisphosphate (IP3) by phospholipase-C, and accordingly were not stimulated by permeant IP3.
Conclusions:
Upon activation a NAADP/SERCA3 Ca
2+
mobilization pathway initiates an early ADP secretion, potentiating platelet activation, and a secondary wave of ADP secretion driven by both an IP3/SERCA2b-dependent Ca
2+
stores pathway and the NAADP/SERCA3 pathway. This does not exclude that Ca
2+
mobilized from SERCA3 stores may also enhance platelet global reactivity to agonists. Because of its modulating effect on platelet activation, this NAADP-SERCA3 pathway may be a relevant target for anti-thrombotic therapy.