Stimulated platelets use serotonin to enhance their retention of procoagulant proteins on the cell surface

Activated platelets bind numerous adhesive and procoagulant proteins by receptor-mediated processes1. Although there is little evidence to suggest that these processes are heterogeneous in platelets, we previously found that platelets co-stimulated with collagen and thrombin express functional α-granule factor V only on a subpopulation of cells2. Here we show that these cells, referred to as ‘COAT-platelets’, bind additional α-granule proteins, including fibrinogen, von Willebrand factor, thrombospondin, fibronectin and α2-antiplasmin. These proteins are all transglutaminase substrates, and inhibitors of transglutaminase prevent the production of COAT-platelets. A synthetic transglutaminase substrate (CP15) also binds to COAT-platelets, and analysis by high performance liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry shows that a product is formed with a relative molecular mass (Mr) equal to CP15 plus 176. Serotonin, an abundant component of platelet-dense granules3, has an Mr of 176, and fibrinogen isolated from COAT-platelets contains covalently linked serotonin. Synthetic bovine serum albumin-(serotonin)6 binds selectively to COAT-platelets and also inhibits the retention of procoagulant proteins on COAT-platelets. These data indicate that COAT-platelets use serotonin conjugation to augment the retention of procoagulant proteins on their cell surface through an as yet unidentified serotonin receptor.