LAT is required for tyrosine phosphorylation of phospholipase Cγ2 and platelet activation by the receptor GPVI

In the present study, we have addressed the role of the linker for activation of T cells (LAT) in the regulation of phospholipase Cγ2 (PLCγ2) by the platelet collagen receptor glycoprotein VI (GPVI). LAT is tyrosine phosphorylated in human platelets heavily in response to collagen, collagen- related peptide (CRP), and FcγRIIA cross-linking but only weakly in response to the G-protein-receptor-coupled agonist thrombin. LAT tyrosine phosphorylation is abolished in CRP-stimulated Syk-deficient mouse platelets, whereas it is not altered in SLP-76-deficient mice or Btk-deficient X-linked agammaglobulinemia (XLA) human platelets. Using mice engineered to lack the adapter LAT, we showed that tyrosine phosphorylation of Syk and Btk in response to CRP was maintained in LAT-deficient platelets whereas phosphorylation of SLP-76 was slightly impaired. In contrast, tyrosine phosphorylation of PLCγ2 was substantially reduced in LAT-deficient platelets but was not completely inhibited. The reduction in phosphorylation of PLCγ2 was associated with marked inhibition of formation of phosphatidic acid, a metabolite of 1,2-diacylglycerol, phosphorylation of pleckstrin, a substrate of protein kinase C, and expression of P-selectin in response to CRP, whereas these parameters were not altered in response to thrombin. Activation of the fibrinogen receptor integrin α(IIb)β₃ in response to CRP was also reduced in LAT-deficient platelets but was not completely inhibited. These results demonstrate that LAT tyrosine phosphorylation occurs downstream of Syk and is independent of the adapter SLP-76, and they establish a major role for LAT in the phosphorylation and activation of PLCγ2, leading to downstream responses such as α-granule secretion and activation of integrin α(IIb)β₃. The results further demonstrate that the major pathway of tyrosine phosphorylation of SLP-76 is independent of LAT and that there is a minor, LAT-independent pathway of tyrosine phosphorylation of PLCγ2. We propose a model in which LAT and SLP-76 are required for PLCγ2 phosphorylation but are regulated through independent pathways downstream of Syk.