Blood vessel wall Collagen. Platelet (@) Platelet aggregation Thromboxane A2 receptor G protein Gprotein PLCs Collagen. receptor ‘Acts on thromboxane A2 receptor of platelets inthe vicinity ‘Acts on ADP receptor of platelets in the vicinity (b) Platelet activation Figure 23-21 The Process of Platelet Activation. {a} Platelets are activated by several substances and aggregate upon ac- tivation. © Collagen exposed in ¢ damaged biood vessel wall stimulates platelet activation and adherence. @ Activated platelets release the platelet factors ADP and thromboxane A2{TA2I, which @ stimulate the activation and aggregation of more platelets inthe vicinity. The release of ‘AZ and ADP is an example of paracrine signaling, (b) Parecrine signaling by platelets uses some of the same classes of receptors and signal trans- duction pathways described for the endocrine hormones. The receptors for thrombin, TA2, and collagen all appear to be 6 protein-linked recep- tors that activate phospholipase C. However, the activation of the throm bin receptors unusual in that it depends onthe protease thrombin e- Thrombin PLC, (protease) Thrombin receptor ADP receptor (aligand:-gated Ca* calcium channel?) ‘moving portion of the receptor protein. When newly exposed collagen ina damaged blood vessel wall binds toa G protein-tnked collagen r- ceptor, membrane phospholipase Cis activated, causing the production InsP, and DAG, and ultimately the release of calcium from the dense tubular system. Increased calcium concentration inside the platelet stim- ulates the secretion of granules that contain growth factors and ADP. Phospholipase is thought tobe simultaneously activated by a6 ‘The activation of phospholipase A2 releases arachidonic acid, whichis. converted to TAZ. TA2 binds to the TAZ receptors on nearby platelets, causing elevated calcium levels, whereas ADP binds to whats probably a ligand-gated calcium channel, oth messengers stimulate platelets fo agaregrate,