The novel platelet activation receptor CLEC-2.

The c-type lectin-like receptor 2 (CLEC-2) was first identified from a bio-informatic screen for c-type lectin-like receptors. However, neither its function nor its ligand(s) had been elucidated for several years. In 2006, we reported that the receptor is expressed on the surface of platelets and serves as a receptor for the snake venom rhodocytin, which potently stimulates platelet aggregation. Since then CLEC-2 has been intensively investigated, and its endogenous/exogenous ligands and several physiological/pathological roles have been clarified. In this article and its accompanying poster, we outline the structure, distribution, signal transduction mechanism and functions of CLEC-2.