The effects of thrombin and GTP gamma S on the hydrolysis of phosphoinositides by membrane-associated phospholipase C (PLC) from human platelets were examined with endogenous [3H]inositol-labeled membranes or with lipid vesicles containing either [3H]phosphatidylinositol or [3H]phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate. GTP gamma S (1 microM) or thrombin (1 unit/mL) did not stimulate release of inositol trisphosphate (IP3), inositol bisphosphate (IP2), or inositol phosphate (IP) from [3H]inositol-labeled membranes. IP2 and IP3, but not IP, from [3H]inositol-labeled membranes were, however, stimulated 3-fold by GTP gamma S (1 microM) plus thrombin (1 unit/mL). A higher concentration of GTP gamma S (100 microM) alone also stimulated IP2 and IP3, but not IP, release. In the presence of 1 mM calcium, release of IP2 and IP3 was increased 6-fold over basal levels; however, formation of IP was not observed. At submicromolar calcium concentration, hydrolysis of exogenous phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate (PIP2) by platelet membrane associated PLC was also markedly enhanced by GTP gamma S (100 microM) or GTP gamma S (1 microM) plus thrombin (1 unit/mL). Under identical conditions, exogenous phosphatidylinositol (PI) was not hydrolyzed. The same substrate specificity was observed when the membrane-associated PLC was activated with 1 mM calcium. Thrombin-induced hydrolysis of PIP2 was inhibited by treatment of the membranes with pertussis toxin or pretreatment of intact platelets with 12-O-tetradecanoyl-13-acetate (TPA) prior to preparation of membranes. Pertussis toxin did not inhibit GTP gamma S (100 microM) or calcium (1 mM) dependent PIP2 breakdown, while TPA inhibited GTP gamma S-dependent but not calcium-dependent phospholipase C activity.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)