Tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-receptor associated factor 4 (TRAF4), an adaptor protein with E3-ligase activity, is involved in embryogenesis, cancer initiation and progression, and platelet receptor (GPIb-IX-V complex and GPVI)-mediated signaling for reactive oxygen species (ROS) production that initiates thrombosis at arterial shears. Disruption of platelet receptors and the TRAF4 interaction is a potential target for therapeutic intervention by antithrombotic drugs. Here, we report a crystal structure of TRAF4 (amino acid residues 290∼470) in complex with a peptide from the GPIbβ receptor (amino acid residues 177∼181). The GPIbβ peptide binds to a unique shallow surface composed of two hydrophobic pockets on TRAF4. Further studies revealed the TRAF4-binding motif Arg-Leu-X-Ala. The TRAF4-binding motif was present not only in platelet receptors but also in the TGF-β receptor. The current structure will provide a template for furthering our understanding of the receptor-binding specificity of TRAF4, TRAF4-mediated signaling, and related diseases.T he glycoprotein (GP) Ib-IX-V complex and GPVI are two major platelet receptors that mediate the initial adhesion of platelets to the injured vascular wall for initiating thrombus formation, and they are involved in thrombotic diseases such as stroke and myocardial infarction (1, 2). GPVI is known as a primary collagen receptor, while the GP Ib-IX-V complex binds to the von Willebrand factor and diverse ligands including coagulation factor XI (FXI), factor XII, thrombin, and P-selectin (3, 4). The existence of various ligands of the GP Ib-IX-V complex indicates that this receptor complex governs platelet function via multiple signaling pathways (5). The GP Ib-IX-V complex, consisting of GPIbα (the major ligand-binding subunit), GPIbβ, GPIX, and GPV, is the second most abundant receptor in platelets and is physically and functionally linked to another platelet receptor, GPVI (3).Tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-receptor associated factor 4 (TRAF4) is one of the seven identified TRAF1∼TRAF7 factors in mammals and was initially identified as a regulator of embryogenesis in mice, especially in the central and peripheral nervous system (6). TRAF4 is involved in gross tracheal, neural tube, and skeletal formation (7-9). The involvement of TRAF4 in the initiation and progression of many types of cancer has also been reported, suggesting that TRAF4 is a tentative therapeutic target for cancer treatment (10, 11). Unlike other TRAF family members, TRAF4 contains a nuclear localization signal (NLS) and does not interact with canonical TRAF-binding receptors such as TNFR2, CD30, and CD40, indicating that TRAF4 is not involved in cellular signaling that is mediated by the typical TRAF family (12, 13).Because of the critical function of the TRAF family in various signaling events, including immunity, inflammation, and apoptosis, these have been the main focus of functional, structural, and biochemical analyses of these proteins (13). Intensive study has revealed that the TRAF family, except...