Alpha granule
secretory organelle found in blood platelets, which is unique in that it exhibits further compartmentalization and acquires its protein content via two distinct mechanisms: (1) biosynthesis predominantly at the megakaryocyte (MK) level (with some v
Alpha granules, (α-granules) also known as platelet alpha-granules are a cellular component of platelets. Platelets contain different types of granules that perform different functions, and include alpha granules, dense granules, and lysosomes. Of these, alpha granules are the most common, making up 50% to 80% of the secretory granules. Alpha granules contain several growth factors.
Contents
Contents include insulin-like growth factor 1, platelet-derived growth factors, TGF beta, platelet factor 4 (which is a heparin-binding chemokine) and other clotting proteins (such as thrombospondin, fibronectin, factor V, and von Willebrand factor).
The alpha granules express the adhesion molecule P-selectin and CD63. These are transferred to the membrane after synthesis.
The other type of granules within platelets are called dense granules.
Clinical significance
A deficiency of alpha granules is known as gray platelet syndrome.
The public source identifies “Alpha granule” as secretory organelle found in blood platelets, which is unique in that it exhibits further compartmentalization and acquires its protein content via two distinct mechanisms: (1) biosynthesis predominantly at the megakaryocyte (MK) level (with some v. This brief keeps that definition visible, then builds a research path around Alpha, granule and secretory.
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Named sources, stable identifiers and responsible institutions provide the strongest route from overview to verifiable evidence. The source revision retrieved here is dated Sep 3, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q14863673. None of the 0 selected statements returned an explicit reference.
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This entry incorporates text from “Alpha granule” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.