Effect of pertussis toxin on the phosphodiesteratic cleavage of the polyphosphoinositides by guanosine 5'-O-thiotriphosphate and thrombin in permeabilized human platelets.

It has recently been shown in this laboratory that permeabilization of human platelets with 15-25 micrograms/ml saponin allows ADP-ribosylation by pertussis toxin of the alpha i-subunit of Gi (Ni), a guanine nucleotide-binding regulatory protein. The same assay conditions have been used to determine phospholipase C in permeabilized platelets. Guanosine 5'-O-thiotriphosphate- (GTP[gamma S]-) activated phospholipase C in permeabilized platelets whose inositol phospholipids were prelabeled with [3H]inositol. Phospholipase C activity was measured by [3H]polyphosphoinositide decreases and formation of [3H]inositol bisphosphate and [3H]inositol trisphosphate. Prostacyclin, cyclic AMP or pretreatment of permeabilized platelets with pertussis toxin did not alter this effect under conditions in which the alpha i-subunit was effectively ADP-ribosylated by pertussis toxin. This information indicated that ADP-ribosylation of Gi-protein was not directly related to activation or inhibition of platelet phospholipase C by GTP [gamma S]. Thrombin also activated phospholipase C in permeabilized platelets and, surprisingly, this action was enhanced by pertussis toxin pretreatment. This indicates that ADP-ribosylation of Gi-protein facilitates the action of thrombin on phospholipase C.