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. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2024 Sep 1.
Published in final edited form as: Curr Opin Hematol. 2023 Jul 17;30(5):167–174. doi: 10.1097/MOH.0000000000000772

Figure 1. Fueling platelets with glucose is mediated by GLUT1 and GLUT3.

Figure 1.

(1) Under basal conditions, GLUT1 (Glucose transporter 1) is the primary glucose transporter on platelets. (2) Upon platelet activation, GLUT3 translocates to the plasma membrane and mediates increased glucose uptake. (3) Additionally, GLUT3 drives glucose uptake in α-granules which allows for proper degranulation. (4) Platelets generate energy by combining glycolysis and mitochondrial OXPHOS (oxidative phosphorylation), with aerobic glycolysis being the predominant provider of cellular ATP. (5) Platelets achieve this by inhibiting the oxidation of pyruvate, which is mediated by PDK (pyruvate dehydrogenase kinase) blocking PDH (pyruvate dehydrogenase)-mediated catabolization of pyruvate. This blocks pyruvate from entering the TCA (tricarboxylic acid cycle) cycle preventing a decline in mitochondrial respiration and increases production of lactate.