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Interaction of manganese with bovine prothrombin and its thrombin-mediated cleavage products.

The binding of the paramagnetic metal, Mn(II), to bovine prothrombin and the thrombin-mediated cleavage products of prothrombin, i.e. fragment 1 and the prethrombin 1 has been investigated. Analysis of the Scatchard plots of the binding data reveals that prothrombin has two high affinity Mn(II) binding sites with a Kd of 1.2 +/- 1.0 X 10(-5) M and approximately two to three lower affinity Mn(II) sites with a Kd of 1.3 +/- 1.0 X 10(-4) M. Positive cooperativity in Mn(II) binding to prothrombin was observed for the strong sites. Fragment 1, the phospholipid-binding region of prothrombin, possesses two high affinity Mn(II) sites with a Kd of 2.2 +/- 1.0 X 10(-5) M and at least two lower affinity sites with a Kd of approximately 2.5 +/- 1.0 X 10(-4) M. Positive cooperativity was not observed for the binding of Mn(II) to fragment 1. Prethrombin 1 binds one Mn(II) with a Kd of 3.2 +/- 1.0 X 10(-4) M. Using the values of free Mn(II) concentration, as determined by EPR measurements and the observed enhancements of the water proton relaxation rates at various concentrations of Mn(II) and protein, the binary enhancement values (epsilon b) of the metal-protein complexes were obtained. The extrapolated values are 11 +/- 0.4 for the initial prothrombin-binding sites, and 10 +/- 0.3 for the tight binding sites of fragment 1. The unique epsilon b value obtained for prethrombin 1 was 5.3 +/- 0.7. When Mn(II) was used in a Factor Xa-metal ion-phospholipid system for activation of prothrombin, the rate of generation of thrombin was less than or equal to 5% of that obtained when Ca(II) was employed in this activation system. Addition of Mn(II) to the same activation system containing Ca(II) resulted in a marked decrease in the rate of thrombin generation, suggesting that Mn(II) probably competes for the same sites on prothrombin as Ca(II). In agreement with this is the observation that the Mn(II) sites on prothrombin could be displaced by Ca(II) at high concentrations of Ca(II).

Animals↗

Determination of the N-terminal amino acid sequence of the purified prothrombin from a patient with liver cirrhosis.

The reasons for the decreased functional activity of prothrombin in liver diseases are still speculative. When a highly purified preparation of prothrombin from a patient with liver cirrhosis is available, the cause of prothrombin abnormalities may be researched on a molecular basis. In this study, prothrombin (6.7 mg) was purified from the ascites fluid (1130 mL) of a patient with liver cirrhosis by barium citrate adsorption, ammonium sulfate elution, DEAE Sephacel and Heparin Sepharose CL-6B column chromatography steps. The molecular weight of this prothrombin was the same as that of normal prothrombin purified from a normal plasma pool. The specific activities were found to be 3.36 U/mg in the one stage clotting assay and 28.9 U/mg in the staphylocoagulase/chromogenic substrate assay, while the normal prothrombin specific activities were 3.92 U/mg and 30.1 U/mg respectively. When N-terminal amino acid sequence analysis was carried out, it was seen that the first 20 residues were identical to the normal human prothrombin excepting the Gla at position #14.

1-Carboxyglutamic Acid↗

Studies on the nature and the purification of the coagulase-reacting factor and its relation to prothrombin.

The coagulase-reacting factor (CRF) of human plasma has been purified, concentrated, and largely freed of prothrombin activity by Seitz filtration, absorbtion on hyflo-amphogel columns, controlled phosphate buffer elution, and fractional ammonium sulfate precipitation. The purified CRF preparations localized between the beta and the gamma globulin position on paper electrophoresis, and the principal of two components observed on analytical ultracentrifugation gave sedimentation rates between 2.75 and 3.07. Highly purified prothrombin preparations of Seegers effectively react with staphylocoagulase to lead to the coagulation of plasma. The electrophoretic and ultracentrifugal properties of the human prothrombin preparations examined differ significantly from those of the purified CRF. Derivatives of prothrombin, involving a loss of prothrombin activity, such as thrombin and "autoprothrombin," do not correspondingly lose in CRF function. The hypothesis is proposed that CRF activity is resident in some component or components of the prothrombin molecule not involved in prothrombin function per se, and that therefore prothrombin and CRF activity may either parallel each other when the molecule is intact or diverge when the smaller units only are involved.

Blood Coagulation↗

Characterization of prothrombin activation during cardiac surgery by hemostatic molecular markers.

BACKGROUND: Prothrombin activation represents the key regulatory step in the hemostatic process. Once formed, thrombin contributes to the generation of fibrin as well as the activation of platelets and fibrinolysis. Failure to suppress thrombin formation during cardiac surgery could result in disorders of hemostasis and thrombosis in the perioperative period. The aim of this study was to determine the time course for prothrombin activation during the perioperative period associated with cardiac surgery. METHODS: We measured prothrombin activation during the perioperative period in 19 adult patients undergoing primary cardiac surgery using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays for the detection of thrombin formation (prothrombin fragment 1.2 and thrombin-antithrombin III complex) and thrombin activity (fibrinopeptide A and fibrin monomer). Blood samples were obtained preoperatively; at 30-min intervals during cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB); and 1, 3, and 20 h after completion of CPB. RESULTS: Despite anticoagulation with heparin, plasma concentrations of prothrombin fragment 1.2, thrombin-antithrombin III complex, and fibrin monomer increased throughout CPB. Peak concentrations for all hemostatic markers occurred in the samples obtained 3 h after completion of CPB. By the morning after surgery, plasma prothrombin fragment 1.2 returned to preoperative concentrations; however, fibrinopeptide A and fibrin monomer concentrations remained significantly increased (P < 0.05) compared to preoperative values. CONCLUSIONS: These data clearly demonstrate the occurrence of prothrombin activation and thrombin activity during CPB despite heparin concentrations adequate to maintain the activated clotting time greater than 400 s. Hemostatic markers for the activation of prothrombin demonstrated peak concentrations 3 h after completion of CPB with a return to baseline concentrations by the morning after surgery. Markers for thrombin activity, however, suggest the presence of active thrombin through the morning after surgery. Further investigations will be necessary to determine the role of hemostatic activation in thrombotic complications after cardiac surgery.

Aged↗

Congenital dysprothrombinemia: an inherited structural disorder of human prothrombin.

A large family has been studied, 11 of whose members have half-normal plasma concentrations of biological prothrombin activity. The pattern of inheritance is autosomal. By use of a specific immunoassay, affected family members have been shown to possess normal quantities of immunoreactive prothrombin, whose immunologic properties seem identical with those of the normal zymogen. Prothrombin isolation from the plasma of one such individual gave normal yields of protein but half-normal amounts of prothrombin activity. Activation of this material in the "intrinsic" and "extrinsic" systems, in concentrated sodium citrate, or by trypsin, gives rise to half, or less, of the thrombin clotting and esterase activities expected from a comparable normal prothrombin preparation. During the clotting of blood from an affected individual, all material with the mobility of prothrombin disappears. Immunoelectrophoresis of the serum reveals a normal nonthrombin "pro piece," and an additional activation product with an electrophoretic mobility intermediate between that of prothrombin and of "pro piece." These results suggest that affected individuals are heterozygotes in whom half the prothrombin molecules synthesized are structurally abnormal, since they undergo some alterations during activation, but are incapable of releasing the active enzyme, thrombin.

Adolescent↗

Genetic analysis and functional characterization of prothrombins Corpus Christi (Arg382-Cys), Dhahran (Arg271-His), and hypoprothrombinemia.

The structural abnormalities and functional characteristics of dysfunctional prothrombin variants in two new kindreds have been determined. Prothrombin Corpus Christi (family 1) was purified and found to have markedly reduced fibrinogen clotting activity, yet normal amidolytic and near-normal platelet aggregating activity. A transition (C to T) at nucleotide position 8885, present in the heterozygous form in affected family members, resulted in the substitution of Cys for Arg 382. This substitution results in the loss of a positive charge within the fibrinogen-binding exosite of thrombin, thus accounting for the observed functional defect. A heterozygous C to T transition was also present at position 19994 in other family members with a hypoprothrombinemic phenotype. This mutation results in the replacement of Gln 541 (CAA) by a premature stop codon (TAA). Prothrombin Dhahran (family 2) was found to have markedly reduced fibrinogen clotting activity, but normal amidolytic activity. Affected family members were found to have a G to A transition at nucleotide position 7312 resulting in the substitution of His for Arg 271. This substitution results in the abolition of a factor Xa cleavage site, yielding meizothrombin rather than thrombin, on activation of prothrombin Dhahran by factor Xa. All but one of the above mutations occur at CpG dinucleotides, thus further supporting the observation of a high incidence of CpG transitions in hereditary dysprothrombinemia. The significant bleeding tendencies of individuals homozygous for prothrombin Dhahran (prothrombin clotting activity 5% to 7%) contrast sharply with the absence of significant chronic bleeding in the proband expressing prothrombin Corpus Christi (prothrombin clotting activity 2%). Our findings underscore the capacity of thrombin to contribute to clinical hemostasis by mechanisms other than its fibrinogen clotting activity.

Adult↗

Inhibition of prothrombin activation by bothrojaracin, a C-type lectin from Bothrops jararaca venom.

Bothrojaracin is a potent and specific alpha-thrombin inhibitor (Kd approximately 0.6 nM) isolated from Bothrops jararaca venom. It binds to both of thrombin's anion-binding exosites (1 and 2), thus inhibiting the ability of the enzyme to act upon several natural macromolecular substrates, such as fibrinogen, platelet receptor, protein C, and factor V. Additionally, bothrojaracin interacts with prothrombin (Kd approximately 30 nM), as previously determined by a solid-phase assay. However, there is no information concerning the effect of this interaction on prothrombin activation and whether the binding of bothrojaracin can occur in plasma. Here, we show that bothrojaracin specifically interacts with prothrombin in human plasma. It is an effective anticoagulant after activation of the intrinsic pathway of blood coagulation, and analysis of prothrombin conversion in plasma shows that bothrojaracin strongly reduces alpha-thrombin formation. To determine whether this effect is due exclusively to inhibition of feedback reactions involving the thrombin-induced activation of factors V and VIII, we analyzed the effect of bothrojaracin on the activation of purified prothrombin by Oxyuranus scutellatus venom. As with plasma, bothrojaracin greatly inhibited thrombin formation, suggesting a direct interference in the prothrombin activation by the enzyme found in this venom (scuterin, a prothrombin activator described as a factor Xa/factor Va-like complex). Altogether, we suggest that bothrojaracin exerts its anticoagulant effect in plasma by two distinct mechanisms: (1) it binds generated thrombin and inhibits exosite 1 dependent activities such as fibrinogen clotting and factor V activation, and (2) it interacts with prothrombin and decreases its proteolytic activation. Thus, bothrojaracin may be useful in the search for thrombin inhibitors that bind both the zymogen and the active enzyme.

Animals↗

Effects of oxalate exposure on Madin-Darby canine kidney cells in culture: renal prothrombin fragment-1 mRNA expression.

It has been suggested that renal tubular cell damage induced by oxalic acid, one of the components of urinary calculi, may be involved in a variety of ways in the development of urolithiasis. During our study on a calculus related protein, renal prothrombin fragment-1 (RPTF-1), we noted that this is an inflammation related substance that mediates an acute inflammatory reaction, one of the original roles of prothrombin. RPTF-1 is a part of prothrombin that is a coagulation factor known to be expressed in the renal tubule. We examined whether oxalic acid may cause cytotoxic effects on tubular epithelial cells and whether such chemical stimulation may promote the translation of RPTF-1 mRNA into RPTF-1 proteins. We used Madin-Darby canine kidney (MDCK) cells derived from the distal tubule of a dog kidney. In this study, the effects of oxalic acid in culture solution at different concentrations on cytotoxicity were assessed using a MTT assay. The location of active oxygen species was identified using dichlorofluorescein diacetate. After the prothrombin sequence of RPTF-1 was confirmed in MDCK cells, RPTF-1 mRNA expression was determined by RT-PCR. The gene sequence of the same promoter area was ligated, and a luciferase sequence was inserted downstream of the vector. The target sequence was transfected into MDCK cells and the relation between oxalic acid and prothrombin promoter was examined. In addition, the variable expression of RPTF-1 mRNA was quantitatively compared depending on oxalic acid concentrations using real-time PCR. When cytotoxicity was investigated, cells were not damaged but, by contrast, were stimulated and activated under oxalic acid below a certain concentration. The relation between cytotoxicity on the cultured MDCK cell membrane and active oxygen species was confirmed. Luminescence in MDCK cells containing the luciferase gene was detected by the addition of oxalic acid, which activated the prothrombin promoter. A part of the prothrombin gene sequence in the MDCK cells was detected and an increase in the expression of RPTF-1 mRNA in MDCK cells by the addition of oxalic acid was confirmed using real-time PCR. Increased expression of prothrombin by adding oxalic acid has already been demonstrated in previous studies. In this study, however, RPTF-1 mRNA was promoted by oxalic acid and a direct association between oxalic acid and RPTF-1 is indicated. This finding shows that increased oxalic acid in urine induces the expression of RPTF-1 in tubular epithelial cells and thereby causes the generation of active oxygen species.

Animals↗

Full-length cDNA cloning and protein three-dimensional structure modeling of porcine prothrombin.

Prothrombin is a vitamin K-dependent serine protease and plays pivotal roles in both procoagulant and anticoagulant pathway of hemostasis. In this study, we cloned the full-length cDNA of porcine prothrombin by cDNA library screening and SMART RACE technique. The full-length cDNA is 2027 bp, with a 1869 bp Open Reading Frame (ORF) coding 623 amino acids. The deduced protein of porcine prothrombin contains signal peptide, propeptide, Gla domain, two kringle domains and trypsin domain. Porcine prothrombin shares 86.15% nucleotide similarity and 83% amino acid similarity with human prothrombin. The trypsin domain is highly conserved between the two species with 92.1% amino acid identity. Macromolecular interaction sites comparison between porcine and human prothrombin suggests that the Gla domain in porcine prothrombin contains an additional potential gamma-carboxyglutamic acid site. However, a thrombin cleavage site (Arg284-Thr285) in its light chain is lost. When thrombin heavy chain is concerned, the most important functional sites such as catalytic triad DHS, RGD site, Na+ binding site and anion-binding exosite-I and II are highly conserved. However, great differences have been observed between residues 145 and 158 of heavy chain which is associated with thrombomodulin binding. Two important limited proteolysis sites at Ala150 and Lys154 were lost in porcine sequence, which would affect epsilon-thrombin and gammaT-thrombin generation. Comparison on 3-D protein models demonstrates that these proteins are obviously different in autolysis loop (Lys145 to Gly155). Compared with that of human prothrombin, variation at critical recognition sites would likely alter its binding affinity and reaction velocity, which would contribute to coagulation disorder when porcine liver is transplanted into human body.

1-Carboxyglutamic Acid↗

Anti-phospholipid antibodies (aPL) and apoptosis: prothrombin-dependent aPL as a paradigm for phospholipid-dependent interactions with apoptotic cells.

The natural targets of anti-phospholipid antibodies (aPL) and the stimuli that induce them remain unknown. Apoptotic cells have been proposed as both potential targets and immunogens for anti-phospholipid antibodies. Demonstration of selective recognition by anti-phospholipid antibodies provides support for apoptotic cells as antigenic targets. Here, we summarize data showing that prothrombin (PT) binds to apoptotic, but not viable, cells, and that apoptotic-cell bound prothrombin provides a target for human polyclonal and murine monoclonal lupus anticoagulant (LA) antibodies. We discuss findings for two monoclonal lupus anticoagulant antibodies that have high (antibody 29J3-62) or low (antibody 29I4-24) affinity, respectively, for soluble prothrombin. Despite their very different affinities for soluble prothrombin, both monoclonal antibodies reacted similarly with prothrombin bound to phospholipid or apoptotic cells. Furthermore, both antibodies enhanced the binding of prothrombin to apoptotic cells. We propose that the recognition of apoptotic cells by these prothrombin-dependent monoclonal antibodies provides a paradigm for other anti-phospholipid autoantibodies. 29I4-24 is prototypical of phospholipid-dependent anti-phospholipid antibodies, while 29J3-62 represents a prototype for phospholipid-independent anti-phospholipid antibodies. Proteins such as prothrombin and beta2-glycoprotein I (beta2GPI) bind to apoptotic cells, thereby enhancing the recognition of apoptotic cells by anti-phospholipid antibodies. Furthermore, anti-phospholipid antibodies potentiate the interaction of these proteins with apoptotic cells. While it is unclear whether apoptotic cells are the inducing stimuli in patients with anti-phospholipid antibodies or even whether anti-phospholipid antibodies interact with apoptotic cells in vivo, it is nonetheless clear that anti-phospholipid antibodies have the potential to affect both the procoagulant activity and the uptake and clearance of apoptotic cells.

Animals↗

Membrane binding induces lipid-specific changes in the denaturation profile of bovine prothrombin. A scanning calorimetry study.

Prothrombin denaturation was examined in the presence of Na2EDTA, 5mM CaCl2, and CaCl2 plus membranes containing 1-palmitoyl-2-oleoyl-3-sn-phosphatidylcholine (POPC) in combination with either bovine brain phosphatidylserine (PS) or 1,2-dioleoyl-phosphatidylglycerol (DOPG). Heating denaturation of prothrombin produced thermograms showing two peaks, a minor one at approximately 59 degrees C previously reported to correspond to denaturation of the fragment 1 region (Ploplis, V. A., D. K. Strickland, and F. J. Castellino 1981. Biochemistry. 20:15-21), and a main one at approximately 57-58 degrees C, reportedly due to denaturation of the rest of the molecule (prethrombin 1). The main peak was insensitive to the presence of 5mM Ca2+ whereas the minor peak was shifted to higher temperature (Tm approximately 65 degrees C) by Ca2+. Sufficient concentrations of POPC/bovPS (75/25) large unilamellar vesicles to guarantee binding of 95% of prothrombin resulted in an enthalpy loss in the main endotherm and a comparable enthalpy gain in the minor endotherm accompanying an upward shift in peak temperature (Tm approximately 73 degrees C). Peak deconvolution analysis on the prothrombin denaturation profile and comparison with isolated prothrombin fragment 1 denaturation endotherms suggested that the change caused by POPC/PS vesicles reflected a shift of a portion of the enthalpy of the prethrombin 1 domain to higher temperature (Tm approximately 77 degrees C). The enthalpy associated with this high-temperature endotherm increased in proportion to the surface concentration of PS. By contrast, POPC/DOPG (50/50) membranes shifted the prethrombin 1 peak by 4 degrees C to a lower temperature and the fragment 1 peak by 5 degrees C to a higher temperature. The data lead to a hypothesis that the fragment 1 and prethrombin 1 domains of prothrombin do not denature quite independently and that binding of prothrombin to acidic-lipid membranes disrupts the interaction between these domains. It is further hypothesized that PS containing membranes exert the additional specific effect of decoupling the denaturation of two subdomains of the prethrombin 1 domain of prothrombin.

Animals↗

Association of prothrombin and protein S with plasma triglyceride-rich lipoproteins in humans after test meals rich in milk fat or soybean oil.

INTRODUCTION: Prothrombin can associate with rat chylomicrons in vitro. This enhances a platelet factor Xa mediated prothrombin activation when the chylomicron-prothrombin complex is exposed to platelets. Vitamin K-dependent pro- and anti-coagulation proteins are associated with TG-rich lipoproteins obtained from human plasma. In the present study, we examined the effects of saturated and unsaturated fat meals on the association of prothrombin and protein S with TG-rich lipoproteins in vivo. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Human EDTA plasma was separated from normal subjects after overnight fasting and 2.5 h after ingestion of either a saturated fat meal (butter and cream) or an unsaturated fat meal (soybean oil) containing 54-80 g fat (60.2 E%). The prothrombin and protein S in delipidated lipoproteins were determined by SDS-PAGE combined with Western blotting. RESULTS: Both prothrombin and protein S associated with TG-rich lipoproteins in fasting and in postprandial samples. The levels of prothrombin and protein S in postprandial TG-rich lipoproteins, especially after ingestion of a saturated fat meal, were higher than those in fasting TG-rich lipoproteins. CONCLUSIONS: The levels of both prothrombin and protein S in TG-rich lipoproteins in plasma increased after a single fat meal. This association is more pronounced after saturated fat meals and one may hypothesize that it can be linked to atherogenic properties of TG-rich lipoproteins.

Adult↗

Intrauterine expression of prothrombin in the sprague-dawley rat.

Thrombin appears to underlie myometrial contractions in response to intrauterine bleeding. In a similar fashion, thrombin generated within the uterus in the absence of active bleeding could also produce contractions. These studies sought to determine whether functionally active prothrombin is expressed in the pregnant and nonpregnant rat uterus. Uteri were obtained from proestrus/estrus and timed-pregnant Sprague-Dawley rats. Western blots were performed using antithrombin antibodies. Immunohistochemical studies were performed using the same antibodies along with the Vector Elite ABC kit. Qualitative reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction studies were performed using rat prothrombin-specific oligonucleotide primers. In vitro uterine contraction studies were performed using Taipan snake venom (an exogenous prothrombinase) and components of the plasma prothrombinase complex (Factors Xa and V) with and without pretreatment with thrombin inhibitors (heparin or hirudin). The Western blots demonstrated prothrombin peptides in myometrial tissue from estrus and pregnant rats. The immunohistochemical studies confirmed prothrombin peptides in both the circular and longitudinal myometrium, along with the endometrium. The reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction studies demonstrated prothrombin mRNA in the endometrium and placenta, but not in the myometrial smooth muscle. The Taipan snake venom stimulated a significant increase in contractions, which were suppressed by pretreatment with heparin and hirudin. The Factor Xa and V complex also significantly stimulated uterine contractions, which were likewise inhibited by hirudin. These studies provide evidence supporting the expression of functionally active prothrombin in the pregnant and nonpregnant rat uterus. Based on the presence of its mRNA, prothrombin appears to be synthesized in the endometrium and placenta; in contrast, the myometrial smooth-muscle cells appear to sequester preformed prothrombin. These results support the hypothesis that intrauterine thrombin could play an autocrine/paracrine role in the regulation of contractile activity.

Animals↗

Analytical evaluation of primer engineered multiplex polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism for detection of factor V Leiden and prothrombin G20210A.

Factor V Leiden and prothrombin G20210A are clinically relevant genetic risk factors for venous thrombosis. Analysis for both mutations is increasingly being performed on patients exhibiting hypercoagulability. The goal of the current study was to evaluate the performance of primer-engineered multiplex polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) for the simultaneous detection of factor V Leiden and prothrombin G20210A. Primer-engineered multiplex PCR-RFLP methods for the detection of factor V Leiden and prothrombin G20210A from the medical literature were reviewed. A modified method was optimized in which both mutations generate HindIII RFLPs and the prothrombin amplicon contains an invariant HindIII recognition site to assess the completeness of endonuclease digestion. Digested amplification products were analyzed by agarose gel electrophoresis in a single gel lane and visualized by ethidium bromide. Primer-engineered multiplex PCR-RFLP was used to analyze 205 human genomic DNA samples whose factor V Leiden genotypes had been previously determined by MnlI PCR-RFLP. Complete concordance for factor V Leiden genotypes was observed between the two methods in the 205-sample cohort comprising 139 wild-type, 62 heterozygous mutant, and four homozygous mutant individuals. For prothrombin G20210A, primer-engineered multiplex PCR-RFLP identified 196 wild-type and nine heterozygous mutant individuals in the 205-sample cohort. To independently verify prothrombin genotypes, the nine heterozygous mutants and an additional 11 wild-type patient samples (representing 10% of patient samples) were subjected to DNA sequencing. Complete concordance was observed between DNA sequencing and primer-engineered multiplex PCR-RFLP results. In further validation, 123 of the DNA samples consisting of four heterozygous mutant and 119 wild type individuals were genotyped with the Invader Assay for Factor II (prothrombin G20210A). Results showed 100% concordance between the Invader Assay and primer-engineered multiplex PCR-RFLP. A primer-engineered multiplex PCR-RFLP based on single restriction endonuclease digestion has been evaluated and shown to simultaneously and accurately detect factor V Leiden and prothrombin G20210A mutations. The method is robust and readily adaptable to the clinical molecular diagnostic laboratory.

Amino Acid Substitution↗

The human prothrombin gene: transcriptional regulation in HepG2 cells.

The human prothrombin gene is expressed predominantly in hepatocytes. Previous work indicated that this tissue specificity is transcriptionally regulated. In order to identify the cis-acting regulatory elements in the 5' flanking region of the human prothrombin gene which may direct the expression of prothrombin in hepatocytes, a series of hybrid plasmids were constructed linking portions of the 5' flanking region of the human prothrombin gene to the bacterial chloramphenicol acetyltransferase gene. Expression of these hybrid plasmids was examined in calcium phosphate-mediated transient transfections of HepG2 cells, a human hepatoblastoma cell line which expresses prothrombin, and HeLa cells, an adenocarcinoma cell line which does not express detectable amounts of prothrombin. Both the prothrombin promoter and an upstream regulatory region containing sequence homologous to the hepatocyte nuclear factor 1 (HNF-1) binding site (nucleotides -919 to -790 relative to the prothrombin transcription initiation site) were required for expression in HepG2 cells. The upstream region also exhibited non-tissue-specific enhancer activity. Gel mobility shift assays confirmed cell-type-specific differences in the protein-DNA interactions between proteins in HepG2 or HeLa nuclear extracts and either the promoter region or the upstream regulatory region of the gene.

Base Sequence↗

Laser-induced europium(III) luminescence as a probe of the metal ion mediated association of human prothrombin with phospholipid.

7F0 leads to 5D0 excitation spectroscopy of Eu(III) has been used to investigate the Eu(III) and phospholipid binding properties of human prothrombin. The results indicate that human prothrombin contains four high-affinity Eu(III) binding sites which are distributed into two classes of binding sites. When 4 equiv of Eu(III) is bound to prothrombin, the prothrombin is capable of binding to phospholipid vesicles. The deuterium isotope effect on the lifetime of the Eu(III)-prothrombin complex and the Eu(III)-prothrombin-phospholipid complex was used to determine the number of water molecules coordinated to the Eu(III). In both complexes, each of the Eu(III)'s coordinated to 2.5 +/- 0.5 water molecules. These results indicate that the binding of the Eu(III)-prothrombin complex to the phospholipid does not require the formation of a prothrombin-Eu(III)-phospholipid bridge.

Calcium↗

Blood coagulation induced by the venom of Bothrops atrox. 1. Identification, purification, and properties of a prothrombin activator.

In this paper, we show that the procoagulant action of Bothrops atrox venom is due in part to a protein component that activates prothrombin. The venom prothrombin activator was purified by ion-exchange chromatography and gel filtration. It was separated from a protease by affinity chromatography in a p-aminobenzamidine-CH-Sepharose column. It is a protein of about Mr 70,000, consisting of a single polypeptide chain. We have studied the kinetics of activation of prothrombin under different experimental conditions. The prothrombin activator from B. atrox venom is insensitive to reagents of serine and thiol proteases but is inactivated by ion chelators and by various divalent ions. These results suggest that it is a metalloenzyme. The prothrombin activator from B. atrox venom is inactive on the chromogenic substrates S-2337 and S-2238, and it is selective for prothrombin since it does not act on other blood coagulation factors such as fibrinogen and factor X. We have also studied the pattern of peptide cleavages produced in the human prothrombin molecule during the activation by the activator from B. atrox venom and compared it to that obtained with ecarin, a prothrombin activator from Echis carinatus venom. In the presence of thrombin inhibitors, e.g., hirudin, we found that the activators from B. atrox venom and ecarin act in a similar, or identical, manner by producing a thrombin intermediate, meizothrombin. In the absence of thrombin inhibitors, several peptides are generated, and alpha-thrombin is produced as a consequence of meizothrombin action.

Animals↗

Prothrombin activation on membranes with anionic lipids containing phosphate, sulfate, and/or carboxyl groups.

Factor Xa catalyzed prothrombin activation is strongly stimulated by the presence of negatively charged membranes plus calcium ions. Here we report experiments in which we determined the prothrombin-converting activity of phosphatidylcholine (PC) membranes that contain varying amounts of different anionic lipids, viz., phosphatidylserine (PS), phosphatidic acid (PA), phosphatidylmethanol (MePA), phosphatidylglycerol (PG), phosphatidylethanolamine (PE), phosphatidyl-beta-lactate (PLac), sulfatides (SF), sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS), and oleic acid. All anionic lipids tested were able to accelerate factor Xa catalyzed prothrombin activation, in both the absence and presence of the protein cofactor Va. This shows that the prothrombin-converting activity of negatively charged membranes is not strictly dependent on the presence of a phosphate group but that lipids which contain a carboxyl or sulfate moiety are also able to promote the formation of a functionally active prothrombinase complex. In the absence of factor Va, the prothrombin-converting activity of membranes with MePA, PG, PE, PLac, SF, or SDS was strongly inhibited at high ionic strength, while the activity of PS- and PA-containing membranes was hardly affected by ionic strength variation. This suggests that in the case of the ionic strength sensitive lipids electrostatic forces play an important role in the formation of the membrane-bound prothrombinase complex. For PS and to a lesser extent for PA we propose that the formation of a coordinated complex (chelate complex) with Ca2+ as central ion and ligands provided by the gamma-carboxyglutamic acid residues of prothrombin and factor Xa and the polar head group of phospholipids is the major driving force in protein-membrane association. Our data indicate that the anionic lipids used in this study can be useful tools for further investigation of the molecular interactions that play a role in the assembly of a membrane-bound prothrombinase complex. Membranes that were solely composed of PC can also considerably enhance prothrombin activation in the presence of factor Va. This activity of PC is only observed on membranes which are composed of PC that contains unsaturated hydrocarbon side chains. Membranes prepared from phosphocholine-containing lipids with saturated hydrocarbon side chains such as dimyristoyl-PC, dipalmitoyl-PC, distearoyl-PC, and dioctadecylglycerophosphocholine hardly accelerated prothrombin activation.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Calcium↗