Platelet-collagen interaction: is GPVI the central receptor?

At sites of vascular injury, platelets come into contact with subendothelial collagen, which triggers their activation and the formation of a hemostatic plug. Besides glycoprotein Ib (GPIb) and alphaIIbbeta3 integrin, which indirectly interact with collagen via von Willebrand factor (VWF), several collagen receptors have been identified on platelets, most notably alpha2beta1 integrin and the immunoglobulin (Ig) superfamily member GPVI. Within the last few years, major advances have been made in understanding platelet-collagen interactions including the molecular cloning of GPVI, the generation of mouse strains lacking individual collagen receptors, and the development of collagen receptor-specific antibodies…