A Significant Portion of the Aequorin Luminescent Signal from Stimulated Human and Rabbit Platelets is Due to Exposure of the Aequorin to Calcium in the Suspending Medium

Summary

We have examined in unstimulated and thrombin-stimulated human and rabbit platelets the localization and behavior of aequorin loaded by a variety of published methods. When platelets were suspended at 37° C in Tyrode-albumin medium containing 2 mM Ca²⁺ and apyrase, we found with all preparations that total aequorin revealed by addition of Triton X-100 decreased by more than 50% over one hour. Incubation in the presence of 5 mM EGTA followed by addition of Ca²⁺ to restore the concentration to 2 mM showed that some aequorin had entered the medium; subsequent addition of Triton X-100 showed that the increase in aequorin in the medium matched the decrease in aequorin in the platelets, such that total aequorin remained unchanged. However, comparison of aequorin in platelets incubated in media with and without Ca²⁺ showed a larger decrease in platelets incubated in the presence of Ca²⁺; this finding may indicate the presence of an intracellular pool of Ca²⁺ which is more dependent on external Ca²⁺. Stimulation of platelets with thrombin in the presence of EGTA resulted in a smaller luminescent signal than in the presence of Ca²⁺. Subsequent addition of Ca²⁺ to 2 mM in the platelet suspension that originally contained EGTA or to its supemate (after centrifugation of the platelet suspension), resulted in a larger luminescent signal compared with controls, indicating that stimulation of the platelets had increased loss of the aequorin into the medium. Together, these results indicate that a portion of the aequorin luminescent signal in stimulated platelets suspended in the presence of Ca²⁺ is due to loss of aequorin into the medium and thus results obtained under these conditions must be regarded with caution. The signal in platelets suspended in the absence of Ca²⁺ does appear to arise from aequorin inside the platelets.

• References

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