Endobrevin/VAMP-8 is the primary v-SNARE for the platelet release reaction

Platelet secretion is critical to hemostasis. Release of granular cargo is mediated by soluble NSF attachment protein receptors (SNAREs), but despite consensus on t-SNAREs usage, it is unclear which Vesicle Associated Membrane Protein (VAMPs: synaptobrevin/VAMP-2, cellubrevin/VAMP-3, TI-VAMP/VAMP-7, and endobrevin/VAMP-8) is required. We demonstrate that VAMP-8 is required for release from dense core granules, alpha granules, and lysosomes. Platelets from VAMP-8^-/- mice have a significant defect in agonist-induced secretion, though signaling, morphology, and cargo levels appear normal. In contrast, VAMP-2^+/-, VAMP-3^-/-, and VAMP-2 ^+/-/VAMP-3^-/- platelets showed no defect. Consistently, tetanus toxin had no effect on secretion from permeabilized mouse VAMP-3 ^-/- platelets or human platelets, despite cleavage of VAMP-2 and/or -3. Tetanus toxin does block the residual release from permeabilized VAMP-8 ^-/- platelets, suggesting a secondary role for VAMP-2 and/or -3. These data imply a ranked redundancy of v-SNARE usage in platelets and suggest that VAMP-8^-/- mice will be a useful in vivo model to study platelet exocytosis in hemostasis and vascular inflammation.