Arachidonic acid mobilization in platelets: the possible role of protein kinase C and G-proteins.

A major route for the release of arachidonic acid from platelet phospholipids appears to be catalyzed by a phospholipase A2 that can be stimulated by a rise of cytosolic Ca2+. This paper discusses certain other mechanisms for regulation of this process. Release of arachidonic acid by calcium ionophores is potentiated by pretreatment with stimulators of protein kinase C; e.g. diglyceride, phorbol esters and the terpene diester mezerein. This effect appears to be coincident with phosphorylation of a certain group of proteins (not 47 KDa protein), and is sensitive to depletion of ATP, activation of Ca2+ dependent phosphatase, and the kinase C inhibitor H-7, but is unaffected by Na+/H+ exchange inhibitors. Recent results in other cell types strongly indicate that phospholipase A2 is also directly under control of certain GTP-binding proteins.