Biomedical subjects

W Kisiel

Publications and source records attributed to W Kisiel.

At least 109 records · Page 6Linked to original sources

PubMed1990

Amino acid sequence of human protein Z, a vitamin K-dependent plasma glycoprotein.

Protein Z is a vitamin K-dependent glycoprotein isolated and characterized from human and bovine plasma. A cDNA coding for human protein Z has been obtained by the isolation of phage clones from a liver cDNA library and in vitro amplification of two other liver libraries. Protein Z is synthesized with a prepro-leader sequence of 40 amino acids. The mature protein is composed of 360 residues including a Gla domain of 13 carboxyglutamic acid residues, two epidermal growth factor domains, and a carboxyl terminal region which is highly homologous to the catalytic domain of serine proteases. Human protein Z, however, contains an Asp instead of Ser and a Lys instead of His in the catalytic triad of the active site.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

PubMed1990

Formation of tissue factor activity following incubation of recombinant human tissue factor apoprotein with plasma lipoproteins.

Incubation of recombinant human tissue factor apoprotein (Apo-TF) with human plasma decreased the recalcified clotting time of this plasma in a time-and dose-dependent manner suggesting relipidation of the Apo-TF by plasma lipoproteins. Incubation of Apo-TF with purified preparations of human very low density, low density and high density lipoproteins resulted in tissue factor activity in a clotting assay. The order of effectiveness was VLDL greater than LDL much greater than HDL. Tissue factor activity generated by incubation of a fixed amount of Apo-TF with plasma lipoproteins was lipoprotein concentration-dependent and saturable. The association of Apo-TF with lipoprotein particles was supported by gel filtration studies in which 125I-Apo-TF coeluted with the plasma lipoprotein in the void volume of a Superose 6 column in the presence and absence of calcium ions. In addition, void-volume Apo-TF-lipoprotein fractions exhibited tissue factor activity. These results suggest that the factor VIII-bypassing activity of bovine Apo-TF observed in a canine hemophilic model may be due, in part, to its association with plasma lipoproteins and expression of functional tissue factor activity.

Apoenzymes↗

PubMed1990

Proteolytic activation of human factors IX and X by recombinant human factor VIIa: effects of calcium, phospholipids, and tissue factor.

Previous studies indicated that factor VIIa, in complex with tissue factor, readily activates either factor X or factor IX in the presence of calcium ions. In order to assess the relative physiological importance of the activation of factor IX versus the activation of factor X by recombinant factor VIIa, we have obtained steady-state kinetic parameters for the factor VIIa catalyzed activation of factor IX and factor X under a variety of cofactor conditions that include calcium alone, calcium and phospholipids, calcium, phospholipids, and tissue factor apoprotein, and calcium and cell-surface tissue factor. Calcium alone stimulated the activation of factors IX and X by factor VIIa maximally at 1 and 2.5 mM, respectively. In the presence of 25 microM phospholipids, maximal rates of factor IX and factor X activation were achieved at 2.5-5 mM calcium. With calcium alone, or with phospholipid and calcium, the initial rates of factor IX activation by factor VIIa were significantly higher than that observed for factor X. Kinetic studies revealed that the Km for the factor VIIa catalyzed activation of factor IX was essentially constant in the presence of 5 mM calcium and 1-500 microM phospholipid, whereas the Km for factor X activation varied with phospholipid concentration, reaching a minimum at 7-20 microM phospholipid. At all concentrations of added phospholipid, the kcat/Km ratio for the activation of factor IX by factor VIIa appeared to be considerably greater than that observed for the activation of factor X.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Calcium↗

PubMed1990

Isolation and characterization of a protein C activator from tropical moccasin venom.

A protease from the venom of the tropical moccasin (Agkistrodon bilineatus) that activates protein C was purified to homogeneity by ion-exchange and gel permeation chromatography. The purified protease is a glycoprotein, and exhibited a molecular weight of 35,000 and 38,000 in SDS-PAGE under non-reducing and reducing conditions, respectively. The purified protease readily activated human protein C and steady-state kinetic parameters indicated an apparent Km for human protein C of 1.7 microM and an apparent kcat of 0.02 sec-1. Calcium inhibited the activation of human protein C by the venom protease (Ki = 93 microM). Amino-terminal sequence analysis revealed that the tropical moccasin protein C activator was highly homologous to the protein C activator isolated from Southern copperhead venom.

Amides↗

PubMed1990

Binding of human factors X and Xa to HepG2 and J82 human tumor cell lines. Evidence that factor Xa binds to tumor cells independent of factor Va.

Previous studies demonstrated that several cultured human tumor cell lines potentiate the conversion of prothrombin to thrombin by factor Xa and calcium in the absence of exogenous factor Va. In the present study, the specific binding of radioiodinated preparations of human factor X and factor Xa to a human hepatocellular carcinoma cell line (HepG2) that constitutively synthesizes a factor V/Va molecule, and a human bladder carcinoma cell line (J82) that does not synthesize factor V/Va, was examined. Radioiodinated factor Xa bound specifically to J82 and HepG2 cells, whereas no significant specific binding of 125I-factor X to either cell was observed. The binding isotherm of 125I-factor Xa to each tumor cell line exhibited a hyperbolic profile, and Scatchard analysis demonstrated a single class of binding site for factor Xa on each cell surface with Kd values of 1.66 +/- 0.39 and 1.64 +/- 0.52 nM and 566,000 +/- 71,000 and 28,000 +/- 6,000 binding sites/cell for HepG2 and J82 cells, respectively. Thrombin formation by cell-bound factor Xa was hyperbolic and saturable at 5 nM factor Xa on each cell line. Hanes-Woolf plots of the prothrombin activation data indicated that half-maximal rates of thrombin formation occurred at factor Xa concentrations of 1.50 +/- 0.43 nM and 1.42 +/- 0.48 nM on HepG2 and J82 cells, respectively. Pretreatment of J82 cells with polyclonal anti-human factor V IgG had no measurable effect on either the binding of 125I-factor Xa or prothrombin activation. However, pretreatment of HepG2 cells with anti-human factor V IgG inhibited prothrombin activation in a dose-dependent manner, but did not inhibit the binding of factor Xa to this cell. When both cell lines were preincubated with exogenous human factor Va, the binding of factor Xa to either HepG2 or J82 cells was marginally affected. These data indicate that HepG2 and J82 cells have cell surface factor Xa binding sites proximal to, but independent of, cell surface factor Va of either exogenous or endogenous origin.

Binding Sites↗

PubMed1990

Hypercoagulability in acute ischemic stroke: analysis of the extrinsic coagulation reactions in plasma by a highly sensitive automated method.

The coagulability of plasmas from 63 patients with acute ischemic stroke (cerebral thrombosis and cerebral embolism) was analyzed by an automated method for prothrombin time using a fluorogenic peptide substrate. The fluorogenic prothrombin time (FPT) of patients' plasmas collected within 48 hr after onset, as expressed as percent of control plasma, was significantly higher in cerebral thrombosis than in an age-matched control group (p less than 0.01). The high values of FPT in cerebral thrombosis patients were observed until the 30th day after onset. On the other hand, FPT values in cerebral embolism patients were not significantly different than that of the control group. Factor VII activity levels in cerebral thrombosis patients were significantly higher than those of the control group and cerebral embolism patients, while levels of factor X activity were not significantly different among these groups. Although FPT and factor VII activity in these stroke patients did not significantly correlate, factor VII activity did correlate well with factor VII antigen. Decreased levels of antithrombin III and elevated levels of FDP and alpha 2-antiplasmin-plasmin complexes were observed only in cerebral embolism patients. Our findings strongly suggest that patients with cerebral thrombosis have been in a hypercoagulable state before the onset of symptoms, which was caused in part by an increase of factor VII activity/antigen, and in part by other unknown mechanisms. In contrast, patients with cerebral embolism were in a low grade consumptive coagulopathy.

Adult↗

PubMed1990

Synthesis, purification, and characterization of an Arg152----Glu site-directed mutant of recombinant human blood clotting factor VII.

Coagulation factor VII circulates in blood as a single-chain zymogen of a serine protease and is converted to its activated two-chain form, factor VIIa, by cleavage of an internal peptide bond located at Arg152-Ile153. Previous studies using serine protease active-site inhibitors suggest that zymogen factor VII may possess sufficient proteolytic activity to initiate the extrinsic pathway of blood coagulation. In order to assess the putative intrinsic proteolytic activity of single-chain factor VII, we have constructed a site-specific mutant of recombinant human factor VII in which arginine-152 has been replaced with a glutamic acid residue. Mutant factor VII was purified in a single step from culture supernatants of baby hamster kidney cells transfected with a plasmid containing the sequence for Arg152----Glu factor VII using a calcium-dependent, murine anti-factor VII monoclonal antibody column. Purified mutant factor VII was indistinguishable from plasma-derived or recombinant wild-type factor VII by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and migrated as a single band with an apparent molecular weight of 50,000. The average specific activity of several mutant factor VII preparations was 0.00025 unit/micrograms, or 0.01% of that observed for recombinant wild-type factor VII preparations. The clotting activity of mutant factor VII was, however, completely inhibited following incubation with dansyl-Glu-Gly-Arg chloromethyl ketone, suggesting that the apparent clotting activity of mutant factor VII was due to a contaminating serine protease.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Amino Acid Chloromethyl Ketones↗

PubMed1990

The gamma-carboxyglutamic acid domain of human factor VIIa is essential for its interaction with cell surface tissue factor.

Previous studies indicated that both plasma-derived and recombinant human factor VIIa specifically interacted with tissue factor on the surface of a human bladder carcinoma cell line (J82). In the presence of calcium ions, factor VIIa interacted with approximately 300,000 binding sites/cell with a dissociation constant (Kd) of 3.25 nM (Sakai, T., Lund-Hansen, T., Paborsky, L., Pedersen, A. H., and Kisiel, W. (1989) J. Biol. Chem. 264, 9980-9988). In this study, we compare recombinant human factor VIIa and a preparation of recombinant human factor VIIa lacking the gamma-carboxyglutamic acid domain (GD-rVIIa) with respect to their interaction with J82 cell surface tissue factor. Interaction of GD-rVIIa with J82 monolayers at 37 degrees C was specific, saturable, and exhibited a hyperbolic profile. Scatchard plots of the binding data obtained at 37 degrees C indicated a single class of binding sites for GD-rVIIa with a Kd value of 2.5 nM. GD-rVIIa interacted with about 10,000 binding sites/cell. In contrast to the tissue factor-specific binding observed for intact factor VIIa, specific binding of GD-rVIIa to the J82 cell surface was neither influenced by calcium nor blocked by prior incubation of the cells with polyclonal anti-tissue factor apoprotein IgG. In addition, cell-bound GD-rVIIa failed to activate human factor X. These results indicate that the gamma-carboxyglutamic acid domain of factor VIIa is essential for its interaction with cell surface tissue factor.

1-Carboxyglutamic Acid↗

PubMed1990

Abnormal regulation of coagulation/fibrinolysis in small cell carcinoma of the lung.

Components of coagulation and fibrinolysis reactions were identified in situ by immunohistochemical staining in fresh frozen sections of small cell carcinoma of the lung tissue. Tumor cells stained positively for tissue factor, a protein that is capable of activating the extrinsic pathway of coagulation (the components of which have been seen within small cell carcinoma of the lung [SCCL] tissue), and for proteins C and S antigens. Fibrin was seen in a focal distribution at the host-tumor interface, indicating that thrombin had acted upon the fibrinogen found throughout the tumor stroma. Staining with a neoepitope-specific antibody, which does not discriminate between fibrinogen fragment D and fibrin fragment D-dimer, was similar to that of the fibrin antibody. High molecular weight urokinase-type and tissue-type plasminogen activators were seen in vascular endothelium, but neither existed within the tumor. Low molecular weight urokinase was found in rare isolated foci of tumor cells primarily adjacent to areas of necrosis. Plasminogen activator inhibitor-3 occurred in tumor cell cytoplasmic blebs and in necrotic tumor cells, but plasminogen activator inhibitors 1 and 2 were not seen. Our data suggest a mechanism for thrombin generation and fibrin formation within SCCL tissues that could support cell proliferation, stroma formation, and preservation. These features could be conductive to perpetuation of this tumor and conceivably could form the basis of the beneficial effects of antithrombotic therapy seen in SCCL.

Blood Coagulation↗

PubMed1990

Impairment of the protein C anticoagulant pathway in a patient with systemic lupus erythematosus, anticardiolipin antibodies and thrombosis.

We have identified an inhibitor of the protein C anticoagulant pathway in the plasma of a patient with systemic lupus erythematosus and a history of recurrent deep vein thrombosis, fetal wastage, and seizures. The patient's plasma contained anticardiolipin antibodies as well as a weak lupus anticoagulant. Examination of this patient's plasma revealed normal levels of protein C and protein S antigen, normal levels of functional protein C, as well as essentially normal levels of every blood coagulation factor. In a modified prothrombin time assay, the activated protein C-mediated prolongation of the clotting time observed in normal plasma was not observed in this patient's plasma. Gel permeation chromatography of the patient's plasma revealed that the inhibitory material was a high molecular weight protein that coeluted with the IgM peak. The inhibitor did not appear to circulate as a complex with protein C, since the inhibitor could easily be separated from protein C during fractionation procedures, and did not interfere with the activation of protein C in plasma as assessed by a functional amidolytic assay. Our findings suggest that the recurrent thrombotic episodes observed in this patient may have occurred as a result of the patient's antiphospholipid antibody neutralizing specific phospholipids essential for the full expression of the anticoagulant activity of activated protein C.

Abortion, Habitual↗

PubMed1990

A new trisaccharide sugar chain linked to a serine residue in the first EGF-like domain of clotting factors VII and IX and protein Z.

Recently, we determined the complete amino acid sequence of bovine factor VII (Takeya, H. et al. (1988) J. Biol. Chem. 263, 14868-14877). In the course of the studies, we found an unknown serine derivative at position 52 in the first epidermal growth factor-like domain of factor VII. A pentapeptide isolated from the S-aminoethylated factor VII contained Ser-52, which could not be identified with a gas-phase sequencer. The same results were also obtained for a pentapeptide containing Ser-53 of factor IX and protein Z. Component sugar analysis revealed that the peptide contained 1 mol of glucose and 2 mol of xylose. This sugar component was also confirmed by high-resolution fast atom bombardment mass spectrometric analysis of the pentapeptide. The trisaccharide was released from the peptides by means of beta-elimination reaction and its reducing end was identified as pyridylamino-glucose. These results indicate the existence of a (Xyl2)Glc-Ser structure in factors VII, IX and protein Z. Similar results were obtained for human factors VII, IX and protein Z. This is the first report of a (Xyl2)-Glc-Ser structure in glycoproteins to our knowledge. The presence of the unique trisaccharide structure in factors VII, IX and protein Z leads us to anticipate its biological role in the tissue factor pathway.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

PubMed1990

The importance of residues 195-206 of human blood clotting factor VII in the interaction of factor VII with tissue factor.

Previous studies indicated that human and bovine factor VII exhibit 71% amino acid sequence identity. In the present study, competition binding experiments revealed that the interaction of human factor VII with cell-surface human tissue factor was not inhibited by 100-fold molar excess of bovine factor VII. This finding indicated that bovine and human factor VII are not structurally homologous in the region(s) where human factor VII interacts with human tissue factor. On this premise, we synthesized three peptides corresponding to regions of human factor VII that exhibited marked structural dissimilarity to bovine factor VII; these regions of dissimilarity included residues 195-206, 263-274, and 314-326. Peptide 195-206 inhibited the interaction of factor VII with cell-surface tissue factor and the activation of factor X by a complex of factor VIIa and tissue factor half-maximally at concentrations of 1-2 mM. A structurally rearranged form of peptide 195-206 containing an aspartimide residue inhibited these reactions half-maximally at concentrations of 250-300 microM. In contrast, neither peptide 263-274 nor peptide 314-326, at 2 mM concentration, significantly affected either factor VIIa interaction with tissue factor or factor VIIa-mediated activation of factor X. Our data provide presumptive evidence that residues 195-206 of human factor VII are involved in the interaction of human factor VII with the extracellular domain of human tissue factor apoprotein.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

PubMed1990

Malignant melanoma. Interaction with coagulation and fibrinolysis pathways in situ.

Immunohistochemical techniques applied to fresh frozen sections of metastatic malignant melanoma tissue revealed abundant fibrinogen (or fibrin I) in perivascular areas throughout the tumor connective tissue stroma. Fibrin was readily detected in a focal distribution in the connective tissue around nodules of viable tumor. Staining for D-dimer of cross-linked fibrin (using an antibody that cross-reacted with fragment D of fibrinogen) coincided with staining for fibrin. Diffuse staining of tumor cell bodies was observed for Factor X, and Factor XIII ("a" subunit) was detected in scattered areas of connective tissue throughout the tumors. Factor VII was not detected, and only rare tumor cells stained for tissue factor. These results support the concept that a tumor cell-associated, thrombin-generating pathway exists in situ in malignant melanoma tissue that includes Factor X but neither tissue factor nor Factor VII. By contrast, tumor cell staining was observed rarely for urokinase and to a variable extent for tissue plasminogen activator.

Antibodies, Monoclonal↗

PubMed1990

Tumor cells augment the factor Xa-catalyzed conversion of prothrombin to thrombin.

Activation of blood coagulation and local fibrin deposition may contribute to tumor metastasis. We have examined the ability of four human tumor cell lines (COLO 205, HepG2, J82 and CAPAN-2) to augment the conversion of prothrombin to thrombin by factor Xa and calcium in the presence and absence of exogenous factor Va. Using a chromogenic substrate assay to assess thrombin formation, we observed that all the above cell lines accelerated prothrombin activation in the absence of exogenous factor Va. The order of effectiveness was COLO 205 greater than HepG2 greater than J82 greater than CAPAN-2. In the absence of cells, no detectable thrombin formation occurred. Pretreatment of COLO 205 and HepG2 cells with anti-human factor V IgG inhibited prothrombin activation in a dose-dependent manner, but was without effect in J82 and CAPAN-2 incubation mixtures. Factor V coagulant activity was observed in COLO 205 and HepG2 cells as well as their culture media, but was not detected in J82 and CAPAN-2 cells or their culture media. Biosynthetic labeling and immunoprecipitation studies revealed that COLO 205 and HepG2 cells constitutively synthesized factor V or a factor-V-like molecule that comigrated with human factor V/Va on sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. All four tumor cell lines exhibited saturation binding of exogenous human factor Va resulting in a dose-dependent enhancement of their ability to augment prothrombin activation. Our results indicate that these tumor cells can readily assemble a functional cell surface prothrombinase complex that may be important in fibrin deposition associated with the growth and metastatic progression of these, and perhaps, other tumors.

Enzyme Activation↗

PubMed1989

Indirect activation of blood coagulation in colon cancer.

Systemic activation of the coagulation mechanism is known to exist in patients with colon cancer. The mechanism of such activation was investigated using immunohistochemical techniques applied to fresh frozen sections of resected primary colon cancer specimens. Tumor cells stained for tissue factor, factor V, and urokinase-type plasminogen activator. Perivascular and intercellular areas stained for fibrinogen and the "a" subunit of factor XIII. Staining was minimal or absent for protein C, protein S, plasminogen activator inhibitors 1-3, factor VII, factor X, and fibrin (the antigenic site on the amino-terminal portion of B beta chain that is exposed following thrombin cleavage of fibrinopeptide B was not detected). The lack of an intact thrombin-generating pathway in situ associated with viable colon cancer cells is consistent with the findings of others that coagulation activation in colon cancer may be triggered by a soluble tumor product that exerts its effect at sites distant from the tumor. These results may explain the absence of clinical responsiveness of colon cancer to antithrombotic drug therapy and may clarify therapeutic strategies for this common tumor.

Blood Coagulation↗

PubMed1989

Identification of a disaccharide (Xyl-Glc) and a trisaccharide (Xyl2-Glc) O-glycosidically linked to a serine residue in the first epidermal growth factor-like domain of human factors VII and IX and protein Z and bovine protein Z.

We have recently described a unique trisaccharide linked to a serine residue in the first epidermal growth factor-like domains of bovine blood coagulation factors VII (Ser-52) and IX (Ser-53) (Hase, S., Kawabata, S., Nishimura, H., Takeya, H., Sueyoshi, T., Miyata, T., Iwanaga, S., Takao, T., Shimonishi, Y., and Ikenaka, T. (1988) J. Biochem. (Tokyo) 104, 867-868). The sugar chain identified in these clotting factors consists of 1 mol of hexose (glucose (Glc] and 2 mol of pentose (xylose (Xyl]. We report here that human factors VII and IX and protein Z and bovine protein Z also contain such carbohydrate moieties linked to a serine residue at the same position found in bovine factors VII and IX. A glycopeptide derived from each of these proteins was subjected to amino acid sequence and component sugar analyses and fast atom bombardment mass spectrometric analysis. The results indicate that the glycopeptide derived from human factor IX contains 1 mol each of Glc and Xyl. The reducing end of this disaccharide was identified as Glc by analyzing the disaccharide generated by hydrazinolysis. In contrast, human factor VII and protein Z yielded two different glycopeptides which contained Glc and Xyl at molar ratios of 1:1 and 1:2, respectively, suggesting microheterogeneity of these O-linked sugar chains. Bovine protein Z glycopeptide contained 1 mol of Glc and 2 mol of Xyl. These sugar compositions were confirmed by analyses of the intact proteins. In relation to the trisaccharide sugar chain previously discovered in bovine factors VII and IX, these findings indicate the existence of a Xyl2-Glc-Ser and a Xyl-Glc-Ser structure in the first epidermal growth factor-like domains of human factors VII and IX and protein Z in addition to that of bovine protein Z. Whether these carbohydrate moieties contribute to the biological activities of these proteins is unknown.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

PubMed1989

Structural determinants of the factor IX molecule mediating interaction with the endothelial cell binding site are distinct from those involved in phospholipid binding.

Previous studies have indicated that Factor IX/IXa interacts in a specific and high affinity manner with a binding site on the endothelial cell surface. In this study, the contributions of the gamma-carboxyglutamic acid-containing (GLA) and growth factor domains to the finding of Factor IX to the endothelium were assessed. While GLA-containing peptides from Factors IX, X, and prothrombin were inhibitors of 125I-Factor IX-endothelial cell binding, the GLA peptide from Factor IX was about 250-800-fold more effective than those from prothrombin and Factor X, respectively. In contrast to its relative efficacy as an inhibitor of Factor IX-cell surface interaction, the Factor IX-GLA peptide neither bound to lipid vesicles nor inhibited Factor IX-lipid interaction. A synthetic peptide comprising the entire first epidermal growth factor (EGF) exon was also an inhibitor of 125I-Factor IX-endothelial cell binding, although it did not interact with lipid vesicles. Experiments with synthetic peptides comprising each of the three loops of the first EGF domain or the entire first EGF region with specific substitutions indicated the importance of determinants in both the first and probably third loops for Factor IX-endothelial interaction. In contrast, the second loop of the first EGF domain and the first loop of the second EGF exon are probably not involved in Factor IX-endothelial interaction based on their inability to block 125I-Factor IX binding to cells. These results indicate that determinants in both the GLA and the first EGF domain contribute to the specific binding of Factor IX to the endothelial cell surface and that structural requirements for Factor IX-cell surface interaction are distinct from those for Factor IX binding to lipids.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

PubMed1989

Protein structural requirements and properties of membrane binding by gamma-carboxyglutamic acid-containing plasma proteins and peptides.

The membrane-binding characteristics of a number of modified vitamin K-dependent proteins and peptides showed a general pattern of structural requirements. The amino-terminal peptides from human prothrombin (residues 1-41 and 1-44, 60:40) bovine factor X (residues 1-44), and bovine factor IX (residues 1-42), showed a general requirement for a free amino-terminal group, an intact disulfide, and the tyrosine homologous to Tyr44 of factor X for membrane binding. Consequently, the peptide from factor IX did not bind to membranes. Any of several modifications of the amino terminus, except reaction with trinitrobenzenesulfonic acid, abolished membrane binding by the factor X and prothrombin peptides. Calcium, but not magnesium, protected the amino terminus from chemical modification. The requirement for a free amino terminus was also shown to be true for intact prothrombin fragment 1, factor X, and factor IX. Although aggregation of the peptide-vesicle complexes greatly complicated accurate estimation of equilibrium binding constants, results with the factor X peptide indicated an affinity that was not greatly different from that of the parent protein. The most striking difference shown by the peptides was a requirement for about 10 times as much calcium as the parent proteins. In a manner similar to the parent proteins, the prothrombin and factor X peptides showed a large calcium-dependent quenching of tryptophan fluorescence. This fluorescence quenching in the peptides also required about 10 times the calcium needed by the parent proteins. Thus, the 1-45 region of the vitamin K-dependent proteins contained most of the membrane-binding structure but lacked component(s) needed for high affinity calcium binding. Protein S that was modified by thrombin cleavage at Arg52 and Arg70 showed approximately the same behavior as the amino-terminal 45-residue peptides. That is, it bound to membranes with overall affinity that was similar to native protein S but required high calcium concentrations. These results suggested that the second disulfide loop of protein S (Cys47-Cys72) and prothrombin (Cys48-Cys61) were involved in high affinity calcium binding. Since factor X lacks a homologous disulfide loop, an alternative structure must serve a similar function. A striking property of protein S was dissociation from membranes by high calcium. While this property was shared by all the vitamin K-dependent proteins, protein S showed this most dramatically and supported protein-membrane binding by calcium bridging.

1-Carboxyglutamic Acid↗