Engagement of integrin αIIbβ3 promotes platelet-platelet interaction and stimulates outside-in signaling that amplifies activation. Protein kinase Cδ (PKCδ) is known to play an important role in platelet activation, but its role in outside-in signaling has not been established. In the present study, we determined the role of PKCδ and its signaling pathways in integrin αIIbβ3-mediated outside-in signaling in platelets using PKCδ-deficient platelets. Platelet spreading to immobilized fibrinogen resulted in PKCδ phosphorylation, suggesting that αIIbβ3 activation caused PKCδ activation. αIIbβ3-mediated phosphorylation of Akt was significantly inhibited in PKCδ -/- platelets, indicating a role of PKCδ in outside-in signaling. αIIbβ3-mediated PKCδ phosphorylation was inhibited by proline-rich tyrosine kinase 2 (Pyk2) selective inhibitor, suggesting that Pyk2 contributes to the regulation of PKCδ phosphorylation in outside-in signaling. Additionally, Src-family kinase inhibitor PP2 inhibited integrin-mediated Pyk2 and PKCδ phosphorylation. Lastly, platelet spreading was inhibited in PKCδ -/- platelets compared to the wild-type (WT) platelets, and clot retraction from PKCδ -/- platelets was markedly delayed, indicating that PKCδ is involved in the regulation of αIIbβ3-dependent interactivities with cytoskeleton elements. Together, these results provide evidence that PKCδ plays an important role in outside-in signaling, which is regulated by Pyk2 in platelets.
Keywords: PKCδ; Pyk2; platelets; spreading; αIIbβ3.