To analyse the mechanisms of PAR-1 internalisation, we constructed several PAR-1 mutants and stably expressed them in CHO cells. Our study shows that the Ser306↷Ala mutation (S306A), which eliminates a potential site of phosphorylation by PKC in the third intracellular loop of PAR-1, did not change the rate of phosphorylation but reduced the rate of thrombin-induced internalisation of the PAR-1 mutant (58 versus 78% of membrane PAR-1 in 15 min, p<0.005). Deletion of the last 43 amino acid residues of the PAR-1 cytoplasmic tail completely suppressed the thrombin phosphorylation of the mutated receptor and significantly reduced its internalisation upon activation. This deletion also inhibited the PMA-induced and the agonist-independent internalisation of the receptor. The Tyr371↷Ala mutation (Y371A), in a NPXXY motif of the seventh transmembrane domain of the receptor had no effect on the receptor behaviour. Our results indicate that both the C-tail and the third intracellular loop are involved in PAR-1 internalisation induced by thrombin while only the C-tail plays a role in the PMA-induced and in the agonist-independent PAR-1 internalisation.

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