Protein synthesis and degradation are essential processes that allow cells to survive and adapt to their surrounding milieu. In nucleated cells, the degradation and/or cleavage of proteins is required to eliminate aberrant proteins. Cells also degrade proteins as a mechanism for cell signalling and complex cellular functions. Although the last decade has convincingly shown that platelets synthesise proteins, the roles of protein degradation in these anucleate cytoplasts are less clear. Here we review what is known about protein degradation in platelets placing particular emphasis on the proteasome and the cysteine protease calpain.
Keywords: Platelets; calpain; proteasome; protein degradation.