Studies are described which represent a continuation of our investigation into the role of membrane glycoproteins (GP's) IIb and IIIa during human platelet aggregation. The surface proteins of washed platelets were labelled with 125I by the lactoperoxidase-catalysed method prior to membrane isolation by the glycerol lysis procedure. Solubilisation of the membrane proteins by triton X-100 was followed by their analysis by crossed immunoelectrophoresis (CIE) using a rabbit antibody prepared

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... t normal human platelets. In the absence of divalent cation chelation GP IIb and Ilia were contained within a single 125I-labelled immunoprecipitate. When the isolated membranes were solubilised by triton X-100 in the presence of 5mM EDTA, GP IIb and IIIa formed distinctand separate immunoprecipitates during CIE. In order to further investigate this finding 125I-labelled membrane proteins solubilised by triton X-100 in the presence or absence of EDTA were subjected to centrifugation for 18 h at 100,000 g over a 10-40% sucrose gradient containing the nonionic detergent. The results confirmed that in the presence of divalent cations lib and Ilia were associated in a complex, and that this complex is dissociated by EDTA. The IgG..L is an alloantibody isolated from a polytransfused thrombasthenic patient that has been shown in previous studies to inhibit ADP-induced platelet aggregation and the binding of 125I-fibrinogen to normal human platelets in the presence of ADP. When the IgG..L was incorporated in an intermediate gel during CIE it was shown to precipitate the complex containing IIb/IIIa but under identical conditions it did not precipitate the individual glycoproteins dissociated by EDTA. Divalent cation-mediated changes in the orientation of lib and Ilia in the platelet membrane should be considered in assessing the role of these GP's in platelet function.