The Platelet Actin Cytoskeleton Associates with SNAREs and Participates in α-Granule Secretion

Abstract

Following platelet activation, platelets undergo a dramatic shape change mediated by the actin cytoskeleton and accompanied by secretion of granule contents. While the actin cytoskeleton is thought to influence platelet granule secretion, the mechanism for this putative regulation is not known. We found that disruption of the actin cytoskeleton by latrunculin A inhibited α-granule secretion induced by several different platelet agonists without significantly affecting activationinduced platelet aggregation. In a cell-free secretory system, platelet cytosol was required for α-granule secretion. Inhibition of actin polymerization prevented α-granule secretion in this system and purified platelet actin could substitute for platelet cytosol to support α-granule secretion. To determine whether SNAREs physically associate with the actin cytoskeleton, we isolated the Triton X-100 insoluble actin cytoskeleton from platelets. VAMP-8 and syntaxin-2 associated only with actin cytoskeletons of activated platelets. Syntaxin-4 and SNAP-23 associated with cytoskeletons isolated from either resting or activated platelets. When syntaxin-4 and SNAP-23 were tested for actin binding in a purified protein system, only syntaxin-4 associated directly with polymerized platelet actin. These data show that the platelet cytoskeleton interacts with select SNAREs and that actin polymerization facilitates α-granule release.The role of the actin cytoskeleton in granule exocytosis is enigmatic. It has been demonstrated to act both as a physical barrier that limits granule secretion and as a positive regulator of membrane fusion and cargo release. The ability of the resting actin cytoskeleton to serve as a barrier to granule secretion has been demonstrated in neutrophils, neurons, chromaffin cells, melanotrophs, pancreatic beta cells, and acinar cells (1)(2)(3)(4)(5)(6). We have previously demonstrated that platelet granules are coated with actin and that the actin cytoskeleton impedes platelet dense granule and α-granule release (7). Partial disruption of this barrier results in augmented and more rapid release of granule contents from platelets. This actin cytoskeletal barrier may help prevent unregulated release of thrombogenic substances into the circulation (7).Yet accumulating evidence indicates that actin polymerization can promote membrane fusion. Actin polymerization contributes to homotypic fusion of yeast vacuoles (8), fusion of phagosomes with endocytotic organelles (9) as well as secretion of granules from neuroendocrine cells (6,10,11), and mast cells (12). In some cells, actomyosin contraction and/ † Supported by NIH grants HL63250 and HL87203 (R.F.) and T32 HL07917 (K.W., L.D., P.S.B., C.G.P. (23,25,(27)(28)(29)(30).The dramatic morphologic change and granule centralization that occurs upon exposure to a strong agonist has lead to speculation that the cytoskeleton provides a contractile force that facilitates granule release (31)(32)(33). Yet this hypothesis remains unproven. An additional or alternative possibility is ...

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