Isolation of membranes from normal and thrombin-treated gel-filtered platelets using a lectin marker.

We report a technique for the isolation of plasma membranes from gel-filtered platelets exposed to thrombin, using 125I-labeled lentil lectin as an external marker. Labeled cells not exposed to thrombin could be lysed on a gradient of glycerol. Those cells incubated with thrombin (without external Ca2+) were made more susceptible to breakage on a gradient of glycerol-EDTA, and homogenized with a zero-clearance homogenizer. Lysates were spun on gradients of sodium diatrizoate. The membranes obtained from such gradients have been examined by electron microscopy and by assays for enzymes and 125I label. Membranes from platelets incubated without and with thrombin were found to be enriched as follows: lectin marker, 8- and 9-fold, respectively; phosphodiesterase, 9- and 12-fold; acid phosphatase, 2.5 and 2-fold. There is thus a particularly close correlation of lectin marker with phosphodiesterase, an enzyme characteristic of normal purified membranes. Monitoring for 125I-labeled lentil lectin appears to be a useful procedure for following platelet membranes during isolations from relatively small quantities of blood.