Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications, Vol.289, No.5, 1039-1043, 2001
Rab3B in human platelet is membrane bound and interacts with Ca2+/calmodulin
The subcellular distribution of Rab3B in fresh and aged platelets was determined and majority of the protein was localized with the particulate fraction with only a minor amount detected in the cytosol. Rab3B was pulled out from platelet particulate fraction with GST-RabGDI-alpha fusion protein. Using GST-Rab3B in in vitro pull-down experiments, the binding of calmodulin from platelet cytosol to Rab3B was demonstrated. In the reverse experiment, binding of Rab3B from platelet particulate and cytosolic fractions to Sepharose-CaM beads was also observed. The interaction between Rab3B and calmodulin was Ca2+-dependent but independent of the guanine nucleotide status of Rab3B. These findings provide evidence that Rab3B is primarily localized with the particulate fraction and that Ca2+/calmodulin could regulate function of this GTPase in the platelet.