Biphasic myosin II light chain activation during clot retraction

Abstract

Clot retraction is an essential step during primary haemostasis, thereby promoting thrombus stability and wound healing. Integrin αIIbβ3 plays a critical role in clot retraction, by inducing acto-myosin interactions that allow platelet cytoskeleton reorganisation. However, the signalling pathways that lead to clot retraction are still misunderstood. In this study, we report the first data on the kinetics of myosin II light chain (MLC) phosphorylation during clot retraction. We found an early phosphorylation peak followed by a second peak. By using specific inhibitors of kinases and small G proteins, we showed that MLC kinase (MLCK), RhoA/ROCK, and Rac-1 were involved in clot retraction and in the early MLC phosphorylation peak. Only Rac-1 and actin polymerisation, controlled by outside-in signalling, were crucial to the second MLC phosphorylation peak.

Keywords: Clot retraction; cytoskeleton; kinases; myosin light chain; signal transduction.