Human plasma Factor XIII (F. XIII) complex is composed of two types of noncovalently linked polypeptide chains termed a and b; only the a chain possesses catalytic potential. Platelet Factor XIII is comprised solely of a chains which are identical to those found in plasma. In this study platelets were utilized as a source of unbound a chains to characterize F. XIII (a chain)-binding activity in plasma and its subfractions. Upon exclusion chromatography of unheated plasma or of an unheated ammonium sulfate (20% sat.) subfraction, F. XIII activity emerged in a peak corresponding to a mol. wt. of < 500,000 (region 1). If these samples had first been heated at 60° to precipitate fibrinogen, F. XIII was eluted in a peak corresponding to a mol wt. of about 300,000 (region 2). Chromatography of the platelet zymogen alone resulted in a F. XIII peak corresponding in position to that of monomeric a chain (mol. wt. 80,000, region 3).Exclusion chromatography of the unheated ammonium sulfate fraction yielded, in addition to the F. XIII peak in region 1, a protein peak (peak II) in region 2 which contained no F. XIII. When peak II was mixed with platelet F. XIII, and again subjected to exclusion chromatography, the platelet F. XIII peak shifted from its expected position in region 3 and emerged instead in region 2 ; this behavior demonstrated F. XIII (a chain)-binding activity within peak II. The same chromatographic shift was observed in mixtures of platelet F. XIII and normal plasma or that from a patient with congenital F. XIII (a chain) deficiency. Immunochemical analyses of chromatographic fractions indicated that a chain-binding was due to complexing of a chains with freely circulating b chains. Since a chains and b chains have different biosynthetic sites we conclude that b chains serve as an extracellular F. XIII (a chain)-binding protein.Supported by NHLI grant HL-11409.
Structural features of glutamine substrates for human plasma factor XIIIa (activated blood coagulation factor XIII).
