THROMBOSPONDIN: CELL BIOLOGY OF AN ADHESIVE GLYCOPROTEIN

Thrombospondin (TSP), a multifunctional 450 KD glycoprotein is a secretory product of thrombin stimulated platelets. It is a major component of the platelets alpha granule constituting approximately 3% of total platelet protein. Thrombospondin does not circulate in appreciable concentrations ∽0 100 ng/ml); however, the tissue distribution is broad. In addition to its expression on the membrane of activated platelets, the protein is synthesized by fibroblasts endothelial cells, glial cell smooth muscle cells alveolar pneumocytes mononuclear phagocytes and various tumor cells. TSP is a major constituent of the extracellular matrix and has been demonstrated in the vessel wall, basement membrane and glandular connective tissue. Fibroblasts, smooth muscle cells and endothelial cells in tissue culture incorporate TSP into the extracellular matrix. Matrix TSP is under cell-cycle regulatory control. Mesenchymal cells in the proliferative phase synthesize greater amounts of TSP than non growing cells. Platelet derived growth factor induces smooth muscle cell and glial cell synthesis of TSP. Atheromatous lesions contain increased amounts of TSP compared to normal vessels emphasizing the potential role of TSP in the interaction of proliferating cells with the matrix. TSP binds specifically, saturably, and reversibly to mouse peritoneal macrophages and to cells of the monocyte-like human cell line U937. Binding was time dependent and was optimal in the presence of both Ca++ and Mg++. PMA stimulated U937 cells and activated macrophages bound TSP to an equivalent extent as resting cells. The TSP binding site on the surface of U937 cells and peripheral blood monocytes mediates the adhesive interaction between these cells and thrombin-stimulated platelets. Using a sensitive rosetting assay we found that monocytes were not rosetted by resting platelets while >90% were rosetted by thrombin-stimulated platelets. Monoclonal and polyclonal anti-TSP antibodies markedly inhibited rosetting as did TSP itself. Antifibronectin or non-immune control antibodies did not inhibit rosetting, nor did fibronectin, fibrinogen, the fibronectinadhesion tetrapeptide arg-gly-asp-ser (RGDS), or heparin. The TSP membrane receptor, an 88 KD glycoprotein, formely known as GPIV has been identified in platelets, endothelial cells, monocytes and a variety of tumor cells. TSP may thus serve as a molecular bridge linking activated platelets with monocytes at sites of early vascular injury. Such interactions involving the TSP receptor complex may be of critical importance in the regulation of thrombosis and the initiation of atherosclerosis.