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PubMed1995

Activation of prothrombin by factor Xa bound to the membrane surface of human umbilical vein endothelial cells: its catalytic efficiency is similar to that of prothrombinase complex on platelets.

Upon incubation of human prothrombin with factor Xa bound to human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC) (0.5-0.6 fmol factor Xa/10(5) cells), three bonds at Arg273-Thr274, Arg286-Thr287, and Arg322-Ile323 were cleaved, yielding and releasing fragment 1-2 and a degraded form of alpha-thrombin, but not meizothrombin, into the fluid phase. The apparent Km for prothrombin and the Vmax were 0.25 +/- 0.07 microM and 210 +/- 40 fmol thrombin/min/10(5) cells, respectively. For the maximally bound factor Xa, the calculated catalytic efficiency (kcat = 6-7 s-1) was similar to those reported for the prothrombinase complex formed on the phospholipid vesicles and natural membrane surfaces. The prothrombin derivatives lacking the 10 gamma-carboxyglutamic acid (Gla) residues-containing region were not activated by the cell-bound factor Xa. The activation rate of prothrombins with Gla residues variously modified to gamma-methyleneglutamic acids was reduced in accordance with the number of modified residues. For the inhibition of prothrombin activation, intact fragment 1 was needed; the Gla-domain alone did not affect the reaction. Binding of monoclonal antibodies to the region of 1-48 or the kringle 1 region of prothrombin also interfered with the prothrombin activation. Prothrombin activation on the surface of HUVEC appeared to proceed via formation of a cellular prothrombinase complex composed of phospholipids of HUVEC membrane, endogenous factor Va, factor Xa, and prothrombin. The Gla-domain and kringle 1 regions are indispensable for the molecule to serve as an effective substrate for the cell-bound factor Xa.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1997

Purification and characterization of a Ca2+ -dependent prothrombin activator, multactivase, from the venom of Echis multisquamatus.

We previously found a novel Ca2+-dependent prothrombin activator, designated as carinactivase-1, in Echis carinatus leucogaster venom [D. Yamada, F. Sekiya, and T. Morita (1996) J. Biol. Chem. 271, 5200-5207]. Of the Viperidae snake venoms examined, the Echis multisquamatus venom had the strongest carinactivase-like activity. We isolated and characterized the carinactivase-like prothrombin activator in E. multisquamatus venom. From 50 mg of E. multisquamatus venom, we isolated 2.3 mg of a Ca2+-dependent prothrombin activator designated as multactivase. Unlike other Echis snake venoms, the E. multisquamatus venom contained no ecarin-like Ca2+-independent prothrombin activator. The structure and function of multactivase are similar to those of carinactivase. Multactivase is composed of a catalytic subunit with metalloprotease activity and a regulatory subunit comprising two homologous polypeptides bound by S-S bridge(s), and it activates prothrombin via recognition of the Ca2+-bound conformation of its Gla domain. We developed a chromogenic assay involving multactivase for normal prothrombin activity in plasma from individuals orally administered anticoagulants. The normal prothrombin activity, as a percentage, measured with multactivase was highly correlated with the prothrombin time. Multactivase is useful for the simple quantification of normal prothrombin in plasma from warfarin-treated individuals.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1976

The mechanism of activation of bovine prothrombin by an activator isolated from Echis carinatus venon and characterization of the new active intermediates.

Bovine prothrombin was activated, in both the absence and presence of dissopropyphosphofluoridate (DEP) and benzamidine, by an activator which was highly purified from the venom of Echis carinatus (saw-scaled viper, ECV). The process of activation was monitored by sodium dodecysulfate (SDS)-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, and the reaction products were isolated and chemically characterized. In the absence of the inhibitors, prothrombin yielded two fragments with molecular weights of 28,000 and 57,000, of which the former was the N-terminal fragment of the zymogen and the latter was intermediate 1, consisting of a single polypeptide chain. Intermediate 1 was subsequently converted to an active intermediate, named intermediate ECV, without decrease of molecular weight. This new intermediate ECV, which showed little clotting activity but a strong alpha-N-tosyl-L-arginine methyl ester (TAME)-esterolytic activity and which bound with hirudin or antithrombin III, consisted of two polypeptide chains with molecular weights of 35,000 of 27,000 daltons. The former was indentified as the thrombin B chain with the N-terminal sequence Ile-Val-Glu-Gly and C-terminal serine, and the latter was a fragment with N-terminal Ser-Gly-Gly, linked to the thrombin A chain. On prolonged incubation, intermediate ECV autocaralytically yielded a fragment (inner fragment) of 14,000 daltons with N-terminal serine and the clotting enzyme alpha-thrombin [EC 3.4.21.5], which consists of A and B chains. In the presence of the inhibitors, intermediate ECV and the N-terminal fragment were accumulated in the activation mixture. On the other hand, when prothrombin was activated by the venom activator in the presence of hirudin, antithrombin III, or p-nitrophenyl p'-guanidinobenzoate, it did not yield any fragments but was converted to a derivative with two polypeptide chains having molecular weights of 51,000 and 34,000 daltons, of which the former consisted of N-terminal fragment, the inner fragment, and thrombin A chain, and the latter was thrombin B chain. This new prothrombin derivative, named prothrombin ECV, formed a high-molecular-weight complex, associating with antithrombin III. The complex was not dissociable even in the presence of SDS. Moreover, prothrombin ECV reacted with p-nitrophenyl p'-guanidinobenzoate. On the basis of the results described above, the mechanism of activaton of prothrombin by Echis carinatus venom activator can be summarized as follows: The venom activator first cleaves an Arg-Ile bond liniking thrombin A and B chains in the zymogen molecule, forming an active derivative, prothrombin ECV. This active derivative converts autocatalytically to intermediate ECV, liberating the N-terminal fragment, and active intermediate ECV generates alpha-thrombin, releasing the inner fragment. Thus, only a single peptide bond cleavage along the polypeptide chain of prothrombin is associated with activation by the venom activator...

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1998

Congenital deficiencies and abnormalities of prothrombin.

Prothrombin (factor II) deficiency was first described in 1947 by Quick et al., although the first prothrombin abnormality was reported in 1969 by Shapiro et al. The condition is still considered very rare. In spite of its rarity, the defect has allowed important improvements in our understanding of both congenital and acquired prothrombin deficiencies. The diagnosis of prothrombin deficiency or abnormality can be made using a combination of clotting, chromogenic and immunological assays. In cases of true deficiency, a parallel decrease in all these assays is observed, regardless of the activating agent. If discrepancies among the clotting assays are noted, particularly using viper venoms, a dysprothrombinemia should be suspected. Usually, activity levels less than 10% of normal are found in homozygotes, and between 40 and 60% in heterozygotes. Factor II levels in congenital dysprothrombinemias are more variable since one may encounter homozygotes, heterozygotes and compound heterozygotes between a heterozygous abnormality and heterozygous 'true' deficiency or between two distinct abnormalities. Usually the levels of factor II vary between 1 and 50% of normal. Antigen levels in congenital dysprothrombinemias will be normal, near normal or slightly decreased but always higher than the clotting counterpart. Cases with a parallel decrease in prothrombin activity and antigen should not be considered as examples of hypoprothrombinemia. The gene involved in the synthesis of prothrombin is located in chromosome 11. It is composed of 10 exons and 8 introns. Molecular biology studies have discovered several point mutations in some of the dysprothrombinemias. Bleeding manifestations may be severe in homozygous 'true' deficiency and may be more variable in dysprothrombinemias. Heterozygotes are usually asymptomatic. Prognosis is variable and generally in agreement with the prothrombin activity level. In homozygous true deficiency, hemarthroses and intracranial bleeding have been described. Substitution therapy is based on the administration of prothrombin complex concentrates or of plasma. The long half-life of prothrombin injected, about 70 h, allows the achievement of hemostatically effective levels (about 50% of normal) without difficulty.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1990

Dicoumarol-induced 9-gamma-carboxyglutamic acid prothrombin: isolation and comparison with the 6-, 7-, 8-, and 10-gamma-carboxyglutamic acid isomers.

The role of gamma-carboxyglutamic acid (Gla) in prothrombin function can be effectively evaluated by characterizing dicoumarol-induced, Gla-deficient prothrombin structural isomers. In addition to the isolation of 8-, 7-, 6-, 5-, 3-, 2-, 1-, and 0-Gla isomers, we have now purified a variant prothrombin containing 9(8.80) Gla residues by barium citrate adsorption, elution, and finally by DEAE-cellulose and immunoaffinity chromatographies. Agar gel electrophoretic mobilities of the 9-Gla isomer and its fragment 1 were slower than those of the respective 10-Gla (normal) prothrombin and fragment 1, both in the absence and presence of Ca(II). In the presence of Ca(II), both 9- and 10-Gla fragments 1 moved slower than 8- and 7-Gla fragments 1. However, in the absence of metal ions, 9- and 7-Gla fragments 1 migrated at the same rate, but slower than 10- and 8-Gla fragments. Similarly, the 9-Gla fragment 1 electrofocused cathodically to 10- and 8-Gla, but comparably with 7-Gla fragment 1. The 9-Gla fragment 1 exhibited a Ca(II)-induced 44% decrease in the intrinsic fluorescence, compared with a 40% decrease in that of 10-Gla; 8-Gla fragment 1 revealed only 23% quenching. Ca(II)-dependent anti-normal prothrombin antibodies are not specific for 10-Gla prothrombin, since only a twofold molar excess of the 9-Gla isomer was required to displace equal amounts of labeled normal prothrombin. The most critical Gla residue for influencing the functional, thrombin-generating properties of prothrombin appears to be the one present in the 9-Gla isomer but absent in the 8-Gla variant, since 9-Gla prothrombin possesses four times the normal coagulant activity (78 versus 20%) of the 8-Gla isomer.

Calcium↗
PubMed1998

Anti-beta2-glycoprotein I and anti-prothrombin antibodies in patients with the 'antiphospholipid' syndrome: immunological specificity and clotting profiles.

Lupus anticoagulant (LA) antibodies have been shown to be directed to protein-phospholipid complexes. In this study, we report on LA antibodies from patients with the 'antiphospholipid' syndrome (APS), that are directed to prothrombin and beta2-glycoprotein I, but not to the complexes of these plasma proteins to anionic phospholipids. The anti-prothrombin antibodies studied had different reactivities in two clotting assays: the dilute Russell's viper venom time (dRVVT) and the dilute kaolin clotting time (dKCT). Anti-prothrombin and anti-beta2-glycoprotein I (anti-beta2GPI) antibodies, affinity-purified from one patient with APS were not cross-reactive and had different effects in the dRVVT and dKCT clotting tests. Polyclonal anti-prothrombin antibodies, affinity-purified on a prothrombin column, from two patients with prothrombin reactivity in their plasma, have affinity constants to prothrombin of 104 and 192 nM. The patient with affinity-purified antibodies to prothrombin and beta2GPI, had affinity constants to prothrombin and beta2GPI, respectively, of 192 nM and 3030 nM, respectively. LA antibodies are a heterogeneous population of antibodies that have different immunological specificities and clotting test reactivities in different patients.

Adult↗
PubMed1991

Prothrombin expression in the adult and fetal rabbit liver.

Plasma prothrombin levels in newborn humans are lower than in adults. The same is true of many newborn and fetal mammals, including the rabbit. To determine if the lower levels are due to less expression of the protein, we have compared mRNA for prothrombin in fetal and adult rabbit liver. Northern blots were hybridized with a cDNA for rabbit prothrombin revealing a single mRNA of approximately 2 kb in both adult and fetal animals. mRNA specific for prothrombin was quantitated by slot blotting of RNA prepared from adults and fetuses aged 21 d to term (31 d). Prothrombin-specific mRNA in fetuses was greater than 50% of that in adults even when the fetal plasma prothrombin was only 15% of the adult level. This suggests that low plasma levels in the fetuses are not the result of less transcription. Examination of liver sections revealed that the predominant tissue in the fetus is hematopoietic, not hepatic. In the youngest fetuses, less than 20% of the liver consisted of hepatocytes, yet these fetuses expressed more than 50% of the adult level of prothrombin-specific mRNA. Thus, transcription of prothrombin mRNA may be proceeding at a greater rate in the fetal hepatocyte than in the adult, or hematopoietic cells may be expressing the protein. We conclude that in fetal rabbit liver, prothrombin is expressed at a high level relative to the hepatocyte content and that the cause of the low plasma levels is posttranscriptional.

Animals↗
PubMed1990

Prothrombin levels are increased in the estrogen-treated immature rat uterus.

An estrogen-responsive uterine proenzyme of a proteinase in the immature rat uterus has been known for some time. Its mol wt is 77,000, its N-terminal amino acid sequence is the same as prothrombin's for 15 residues, it contains gamma-carboxyl glutamate residues, its biosynthesis is prevented by warfarin, it cross-reacts with antibodies to human and rat prothrombin, and it can be activated by human factor Xa or a uterine procoagulant. The products of activation, when separated on sodium dodecyl sulfate-gels, react with antibodies to human or rat prothrombin to give bands that have mol wt corresponding to those of the products of activation of prothrombin. These activation intermediates hydrolyze synthetic substrates specific for thrombin and have the same mol wt as the activation products of prothrombin. The proteinase generated in the activation has the following properties of thrombin: it is inhibited by hirudin and PheProArg-chloromethyl ketone, it has kinetic constants similar to those of thrombin with tripeptide p-nitroanilides as substrates, and it digests actin to give the same peptides as thrombin. We conclude that the uterine proenzyme is prothrombin. The time course of the prothrombin response to estrogen suggests that prothrombin enters the uterus as part of the transudation of plasma proteins that occurs after estrogen stimulation. A membrane-bound uterine procoagulant that activates uterine prothrombin also increases in response to estrogen stimulation. We propose that the simultaneous increase in these two activities results in a localized generation of thrombin, a well characterized mitogen in fibroblasts and epithelial cells. Our results suggest that thrombin may have a vital function as a mitogen in the early steps of the estrogen-stimulated hypertrophy and hyperplasia of the immature uterus.

Amino Acid Chloromethyl Ketones↗
PubMed2002

Prothrombin kringle-2 activates cultured rat brain microglia.

Microglia, the major immune effector cells in the CNS, become activated when the brain suffers injury. In this study, we observed that prothrombin, a zymogen of thrombin, induced NO release and mRNA expression of inducible NO synthase, IL-1beta, and TNF-alpha in rat brain microglia. The effect of prothrombin was independent of the protease activity of thrombin since hirudin, a specific inhibitor of thrombin, did not inhibit prothrombin-induced NO release. Furthermore, factor Xa enhanced the effect of prothrombin on microglial NO release. Kringle-2, a domain of prothrombin distinct from thrombin, mimicked the effect of prothrombin in inducing NO release and mRNA expression of inducible NO synthase, IL-1beta, and TNF-alpha. Prothrombin and kringle-2 both triggered the same intracellular signaling pathways. They both activated mitogen-activated protein kinases and NF-kappaB in a similar pattern. NO release stimulated by either was similarly reduced by inhibitors of the extracellular signal-regulated kinase pathway (PD98059), p38 (SB203580), NF-kappaB (N-acetylcysteine), protein kinase C (Go6976, bisindolylmaleimide, and Ro31-8220), and phospholipase C (D609 and U73122). These results suggest that prothrombin can activate microglia, and that, in addition to thrombin, kringle-2 is a domain of prothrombin independently capable of activating microglia.

Animals↗
PubMed1998

Increased risk for venous thrombosis in carriers of the prothrombin G-->A20210 gene variant.

BACKGROUND: A mutation in the prothrombin gene (G-->A20210) has been associated with higher plasma prothrombin levels and an increased tendency for venous thrombosis. OBJECTIVE: To determine whether the prothrombin A20210 allele is independently associated with the occurrence of venous thrombosis. DESIGN: Case-control study. SETTING: Two thrombosis centers in southern Italy. PATIENTS: 281 consecutive patients with venous thrombosis confirmed by objective tests and 850 controls. MEASUREMENTS: Medical history was collected on standardized questionnaires. The presence of prothrombin G-->A2020 and factor V Leiden mutations was determined by polymerase chain reaction. The presence of anticoagulant factors and prothrombin activity was determined by tests of function. RESULTS: In 150 controls, increased prothrombin activity (P < 0.001) was associated with the prothrombin A20210 allele. This allele was more frequent in patients than in controls (8.01% compared with 2.29%; P < 0.001) and was associated with an increased risk for thrombosis (odds ratio, 3.88 [95% CI, 2.23 to 6.74]). The increased prevalence of this allele was independent of the presence of the factor V Leiden mutation. After adjustment for sex, age, arterial thrombosis, and factor V Leiden mutation, the risk was still significantly elevated (odds ratio, 3.13 [CI, 1.89 to 5.21]). Moreover, the overall prevalence of inherited coagulation abnormalities was significantly higher in patients with thrombosis of the lower extremities than in patients with thrombosis of the upper extremities (odds ratio, 3.77 [CI, 1.10 to 12.93]). Fourteen patients carried both the prothrombin G-->A20210 and factor V Leiden mutations. CONCLUSIONS: The prothrombin A20210 allele is independently associated with the occurrence of venous thrombosis, particularly in patients with a history of thrombosis of the lower extremities.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1975

The functional significance of vitamin K action. Difference in phospholipid binding between normal and abnormal prothrombin.

In comparison to normal prothrombin, the abnormal prothrombin produced in response to vitamin K antagonists has been found to bind much less tightly, if at all, to phospholipid surfaces. As a consequence, the activation of abnormal prothrombin by Factor Xa and Ca2+ is not accelerated by the addition of phospholipid to the mixture while the activation of normal prothrombin under these conditions is greatly accelerated by phospholipid addition. In the absence of phospholipid, however, the rate of activation of abnormal prothrombin by Factor Xa and Ca2+ in both the presence and absence of Factor Va is indistinguishable from that of normal prothrombin. The distribution of the partial proteolysis products during activation by Factors Xa, Va, and Ca2+ also appears to be the same for both prothrombins. These observations provide an explanation for the function in prothrombin activation of the gamma-carboxyglutamate residues formed in the vitamin K-dependent carboxylation of prothrombin.

Animals↗
PubMed2004

Autoantibodies to prothrombin and phosphatidylserine/prothrombin-complexes: do they contribute to the serodiagnosis of primary and secondary anti-phospholipid syndrome?

The diagnostic and clinical relevance of Ab to pure and phosphatidylserine-complexed prothrombin for primary and secondary APS was investigated in a total of 357 patients with (n = 169) and without (n = 188) connective tissue diseases. The overall frequency of anti-prothrombin Ab in sAPS, pAPS and patients without APS-related symptoms were found to be 50.0, 37.5 and 22.0%, respectively. From a total of 72 anti-prothrombin-positive samples, 12.5% were specific for pure prothrombin, 31.9% for phosphatidylserine/prothrombin-complexes and 55.6% recognized both antigenic forms. The simultaneous occurrence of other anti-phospholipid Ab was observed in 84% of all sera. Both types of anti-prothrombin Ab are significantly associated with lupus anticoagulant activity, but only Ab to pure prothrombin display such a relationship to clinical manifestations of APS. Based on these results, it cannot be recommended at present to include anti-prothrombin assays in the routine procedure for the serodiagnosis of APS. However, patients negative for lupus anticoagulant and typical APS-related anti-phospholipid Ab should be tested for anti-prothrombin reactivity, favoring, mainly due to its higher specificity, the ELISA containing pure prothrombin as antigen.

Adult↗
PubMed1989

Isolation and characterization of a hepatoma-associated abnormal (des-gamma-carboxy)prothrombin.

Hepatoma-associated abnormal (des-gamma-carboxy)prothrombin (HAPT) is a newly described tumor marker for hepatocellular carcinoma. HAPT has been measured in the blood of patients with hepatoma by immunoassay but has not been isolated or characterized. This paper describes the quantitative isolation and structural characterization of HAPT. Purified HAPT has the same molecular weight, amino-terminal sequence, and amino acid analysis (exclusive of gamma-carboxyglutamic acid) as native prothrombin and abnormal prothrombin isolated from the blood of patients taking sodium warfarin. HAPT is heterogeneous in gamma-carboxyglutamic acid (Gla) content with an average of 5 Gla residues/molecule compared to 10 Gla residues for native prothrombin and 2 Gla residues for abnormal prothrombin. HAPT is glycosylated in a manner equivalent to that for native prothrombin when evaluated by a concanavalin A-binding assay. These studies find structural identity between HAPT and abnormal prothrombin. Therefore the findings support the hypothesis that HAPT results from an acquired defect in the posttranslational vitamin K-dependent carboxylation of the prothrombin precursor and not an intrinsic defect in the prothrombin precursor molecule.

Ascites↗
PubMed1986

Distribution of gamma-carboxyglutamic acid residues in partially carboxylated human prothrombins.

The role of gamma-carboxyglutamic acid in prothrombin has been examined using partially carboxylated variant prothrombins isolated from a person with a hereditary defect in vitamin K-dependent carboxylation. These species differ in gamma-carboxyglutamic acid content, distribution, and function, as monitored by metal binding properties, conformational transitions, phospholipid binding, and calcium-dependent coagulant activity (Borowski, M., Furie, B. C., Goldsmith, G. H., and Furie, B. (1985) J. Biol. Chem. 260, 9258-9264). The distribution of gamma-carboxyglutamic acids in the variant prothrombin species was determined by specific tritium incorporation into gamma-carboxyglutamic acid residues, thermal decarboxylation, and automated Edman degradation. gamma-Carboxyglutamic acid residues in the partially carboxylated prothrombins were identified by the assay of tritium in the resultant glutamic acid residues in the acarboxyprothrombins. The results indicate that variant prothrombins 1-3 are nearly homogeneous populations of partially carboxylated prothrombins. The ability of prothrombin to undergo a metal-induced conformational change and to bind to phospholipid vesicles correlated closely to the presence of a gamma-carboxyglutamic acid at residue 16. This residue is likely involved in the formation of a critical high affinity metal-binding site, possibly formed by Gla 16 and Gla 25 and/or Gla 26. A second high affinity metal-binding site, present in all of the variant prothrombin species, is defined, as an upper limit, by Gla 6, Gla 14, Gla 19, and Gla 20. This region is likely responsible for the interaction of certain of the conformation-specific antibodies to the metal-stabilized conformer of prothrombin.

1-Carboxyglutamic Acid↗
PubMed1981

[Activation by heparin-Sepharose of prothrombin conversion to prethrombin 1].

Using affinity chromatography on heparin-Sepharose, homogeneous prothrombin containing no factor Xa or thrombin was separated into three components differing in their affinities for the bioadsorbent. The major component 2 eluted with 0.35 M NaCl was found to contain prothrombin (Mr 80000) and prethrombin 1 (Mr 60000). Component 1 not bound by heparin contained fragment 1 of prothrombin (Mr 25 000), whereas component 3 with a higher affinity for the bioadsorbent contained factor IX (Mr 52 000). Rechromatography of component 2 provided further evidence for prothrombin modification to prethrombin 1 by heparin-Sepharose. Blocking of endogenous thrombin of prothrombin by diisopropylfluorophosphate did not affect the modification. Heparin-Sepharose probably induced changes in prothrombin conformation and the formation of a catalytic center responsible for prothrombin splitting to prethrombin 1. Heparin-Sepharose can be used for separation of prothrombin proteolytic products by thrombin and for isolation of prethrombin 1 and prothrombin fragment 1.

Animals↗
PubMed1980

Chemically modified bovine prothrombin as a substrate in studies of activation kinetics and fluorescence changes during thrombin formation.

The activation of bovine prothrombin is known to be accompanied in purified systems by proteolytic reactions catalyzed by the product, thrombin. These reactions, which are directed principally towards the prothrombin substrate and the Factor V cofactor, are eliminated if the lysine residues of prothrombin are chemically modified beforehand with methyl acetimidate. Amidinated prothrombin in which the usual lysine content has been reduced by 75% is cleaved completely by Factor Xa to give thrombin which has little or no activity towards fibrinogen, the thrombin-sensitive bond in prothrombin, or Factor V, but with normal activity towards the synthetic chromogenic substrate D-Phe-Pipecolyl-L-Arg-p-nitroanilide. The formation of thrombin could therefore be studied spectrophotometrically by discontinuous assays of thrombin without complication by the proteolytic feedback activity of this enzyme. Such assays showed that the rate of appearance and yield of thrombin is the same whether from native or amidinated prothrombin, in spite of the lack of proteolytic activity in the product from the latter. Native and amidinated prothrombin have identical fluorescence emission spectra (lambda ex = 280 nm) which, upon activation, show a broadening and a red shift of the peak of emission from 330 to 336 nm. This change is different from the quenching known to occur when prothrombin binds Ca2+ and is contingent upon cleavage by Factor Xa. When monitored at the 370 nm band, the shift is seen as an increase in fluroescence intensity which, when the concentrations of Factor Xa and Factor V are adjusted appropriately, has the same general appearance as a progress curve obtained by discontinuous assay of thrombin activity. However, the curves obtained with the native zymogen appear to contain a component due to proteolysis by the accumulating product. in the case of amidinated zymogen, this is not longer so: the curves reflect only proteolysis by Factor Xa. In addition, a comparison of the fluorescence shift with the time course of thrombin appearance shows that the shift results mainly from the cleavage of intact prothrombin by Factor Xa, with little or no contribution from later events in the activation pathway. Modified Stern-Volmer plots for the quenching of fluorescence (lambda ex = 295 nm) of the intact amidinated zymogen and its activation products by sodium iodide allow the conclusion that activation results in the exposure to solvent of tryptophan residues that were previously sheltered. However, there is a variation in the pattern of quenching with the protein concentration, suggesting that these residues may be sheltered in the zymogen by intermolecular rather than intramolecular interactions.

Animals↗
PubMed1995

Increased prothrombin activation in protein S-deficient plasma under flow conditions on endothelial cell matrix: an independent anticoagulant function of protein S in plasma.

Protein S is a vitamin K-dependent nonenzymatic coagulation factor involved in the regulation of activated protein C (aPC). In this study, we report an aPC-independent anticoagulant function of protein S in plasma under flow conditions. Plasma, anticoagulated with low-molecular-weight heparin allowing tissue factor-dependent prothrombin activation, was perfused at a wall shear rate of 100 s-1 over tissue factor containing matrices of stimulated endothelial cells placed in a perfusion chamber. Fractions were collected in time at the outlet and prothrombin activation was determined by measuring the activation fragment F1+2 of prothrombin. In normal plasma, a time-dependent prothrombin activation was detected by the generation of fragment1+2. Prothrombin activation had ceased after 12 minutes perfusion, independent of the amount of tissue factor present in the matrix. Depletion of protein S from plasma or inhibition of protein S in plasma by monoclonal antibodies induced a 5- to 25-fold increase of prothrombin activation on the procoagulant endothelial cell matrix. A prolonged prothrombin activation was detected in protein S-depleted plasma up to 20 minutes after onset of the thrombin generation. The increased prothrombin activation in protein S-depleted plasma could not be explained by the absence of the cofactor function of protein S for aPC because depletion of protein C from plasma did not result in increased prothrombin activation. These data provide further evidence for a strong anticoagulant function of protein S in plasma independent from activated protein C.

Antibodies, Monoclonal↗
PubMed1993

Modulation of intrinsic prothrombin activation by fibrinogen and fibrin I.

Recent observations raise the possibility that by binding thrombin, fibrin(ogen) could modulate prothrombin activation, perhaps by modulating thrombin-mediated activation of factors VIII and V. Factors VIIIa and Va are the cofactors of intrinsic tenase and prothrombinase, respectively. This study compared the profile of prothrombin activation in pooled normal plasma, defibrinated pooled normal plasma, and pooled normal plasma containing fibrin I. Prothrombin activation was initiated with three stimuli, as follows: (1) addition of a suspension of thrombin, CaCl2, and coagulant phospholipids to plasma; (2) contact activation followed by recalcification of plasma; and (3) addition of a suspension of crude rabbit brain tissue factor and CaCl2 to plasma. Each plasma sample contained 2 mmol/L gly-pro-arg-pro, which prevents the polymerization of fibrin. Prothrombin activation, indexed as the concentration of prothrombin activation fragment 1 + 2 produced, was quantitated by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Fibrinogen significantly delayed the onset of prothrombin activation initiated by thrombin or by contact activation but not that initiated with tissue factor. In contrast, fibrin I in solution accelerated prothrombin activation initiated with thrombin or by contact activation. Although fibrinogen had no effect on intrinsic activation of factor IX or factor IX activation initiated by adding thrombin to plasma, it inhibited factor X activation initiated with either stimuli. We therefore conclude that fibrinogen can inhibit the activation of factor X and prothrombin. Second, fibrin I accelerates prothrombin activation. Fibrinogen and fibrin, therefore, have the potential to bioregulate blood coagulation.

Factor IX↗