scholarly journals Structure-Function Studies of Factor VIII/Von Willebrand Protein(s)

1977 ◽  
Author(s):  
Patrick A. McKee

Factor VIII (FVIII) procoagulant activity was initially thought to be a glycoprotein with a molecular weight (MW) >1 million and composed of disulfide-1inked ~200,000 MW subunits. A protein with similar properties, except lacking procoagulant activity, is in hemophilic plasma; it was identical to normal FVIII by SDS-gel analyses, isoelectric focusing, and PAS staining. Subsequently it was shown that the FVIII glycoprotein also has von Willebrand factor (vWF) activity, suggesting that both FVIII and vWF activities might be properties of the same molecule. When the FVIII/vWF protein(s) is rechromatographed on 4% agarose and 0.25 M CaCl2, virtually all the protein and vWF activity elute in the void volume, but most of the FVIII procoagulant activity elutes much later. The extent of separation of the two activities depends on the amount of protein applied to the column. Also, exposure of the FVIII/vWF to thrombin before gel filtration strikingly accentuates separation of the two activities. The reduced SDS-gel pattern of the void volume protein peak showed the 200,000 MW subunit while that of the procoagulant peak contained several subunit bands which ranged from ~30,000–100,000 MW. Removal of sialic acid from FVIII/vWF is associated with reduced ristocetin induced platelet aggregation and causes a 50-fold increase in the rate of clearance of protein from the circulation by the hepatocyte. Currently, our data suggest that FVIII procoagulant and vWF activities are properties of a single molecule composed of disulfide-bound identical subunits. Cleavage by thrombin then results in FVIII procoagulant activity. Additional cleavages, to which the molecule appears very sensitive, results in FVIII inactivation. The vWF activity is very stable—even to proteolysis—and it appears to be a function of the carbohydrate side chains of the molecule.

1981 ◽  
Author(s):  
M E P Switzer ◽  
P A McKee

Thrombin (IIa) both activates and inactivates the procoagulant activity of Factor VIII/von Willebrand Factor (FVIII/vWF). The level of activation increases as the IIa: FVIII/vWF ratio approaches 1:1, suggesting that IIa might bind stoichiometrically to FVIII/vWF either during or after activation. We approached this question by gel filtration and ultracentrifugation studies of FVIII/vWF and l25I-IIa, which activated FVIII/vWF as well as unlabeled IIa. When the mixture of 125I-IIa and FVIII/vWF was chromatographed on 4% agarose a peak of 125I-IIa was eluted with the FVIII/ vWF in the void volume (V0). Similarly, when 125I-IIa was ultracentrifuged with FVIII/vWF, a peak of radioactivity sedimented with the FVIII/vWF protein. 125I-aibumin, used to approximate a control, did not bind to FVIII/vWF. The 125I-IIa-FVIII/vWF complex isolated from the 4% agarose filtration retained ∼50% peptidase activity. The ability to activate additional FVIII/vWF or to clot fibrinogen was <10% of that of free IIa isolated from the same chromatogram. Both the FVIII and vWF moieties appear to be important in binding, since VD protein isolated from the gel filtration of FVIII/vWF on 4% agarose in 0.25 M CaCl2 binds about 24% as much 125I-IIa as native FVIII/vWF. When the isolated 125I-IIa-FVIII/vWF complex was rechromatographed on 4% agarose in 0.15 M NaCl, essentially no dissociation occurred. When these experiments were repeated in 4 M guanidine hydrochloride (GnHCl), ∼30% of the IIa remained bound. When the 125I-IIa-FVIII/vWF complex was isolated from the GnHCl chromatography and analyzed by SDS-PAGE, 58% of the IIa remained bound to the FVIII/vWF before reduction and 43% of the IIa remained bound even after reduction with β-mercaptoethanol for 3 hours at 37°. Thus FVIII/vWF binds at least some of the IIa very tightly. Since FVIII/vWF-bound thrombin is essentially inactive toward macromolecular substrate, binding of thrombin to FVIII/vWF is most likely a mechanism for removing active thrombin from the circulation.


1976 ◽  
Vol 35 (01) ◽  
pp. 186-190 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eugen A. Beck ◽  
Peter Bachmann ◽  
Peter Barbier ◽  
Miha Furlan

SummaryAccording to some authors factor VIII procoagulant activity may be dissociable from carrier protein (MW~ 2 × 106) by agarose gel filtration, e.g. at high ionic strength. We were able to reproduce this phenomenon. However, addition of protease inhibitor (Trasylol) prevented the appearance of low molecular weight peak of factor VIII procoagulant activity both at high ionic strength and elevated temperature (37°C). We conclude from our results that procoagulant activity and carrier protein (von Willebrand factor, factor VIII antigen) are closely associated functional sites of native factor VIII macro molecule. Consequently, proteolytic degradation should be avoided in functional and structural studies on factor VIII and especially in preparing factor VIII concentrate for therapeutic use.


Blood ◽  
1979 ◽  
Vol 54 (3) ◽  
pp. 600-606 ◽  
Author(s):  
D Meyer ◽  
D Frommel ◽  
MJ Larrieu ◽  
TS Zimmerman

Abstract A previously healthy elderly man with mucocutaneous bleeding was found to have a benign monoclonal IgG gammapathy associated with criteria for severe von Willebrand disease (Factor VIII procoagulant activity, Factor-VIII-related antigen, and ristocetin cofactor activity, less than 10% of normal). Associated qualitative abnormalities of factor VIII/von Willebrand factor were demonstrated by radiocrossed immunoelectrophoresis and immunoradiometric assay. The late clinical onset and negative family history are in favor of an acquired form of vWD. The monoclonal gammapathy and abnormalities of factor VIII/von Willebrand factor have been stable over a 10-yr period. No inhibitor to Factor VIII procoagulant activity, ristocetin cofactor activity, or Factor-VIII-related antigen could be demonstrated. Following transfusion of cryoprecipitate (with a normal cross immunoelectrophoretic pattern), there was a rapid removal of the large forms of Factor.-VIII-related antigen, paralleled by a decay of ristocetin cofactor activity. The transfusion study of this patient with acquired von Willebrand disease type II (variant of von Willebrand disease) serves to emphasize the relationship between polydispersity of Factor VIII/von Willebrand Factor and functional heterogeneity.


Blood ◽  
2005 ◽  
Vol 106 (11) ◽  
pp. 1017-1017
Author(s):  
Keiji Nogami ◽  
Midori Shima ◽  
Tomoko Matsumoto ◽  
Katsumi Nishiya ◽  
Masahiro Takeyama ◽  
...  

Abstract Factor VIII (FVIII) functions as a cofactor for factor IXa in the intrinsic tenase complex. This tenase activity is down-regulated by activated protein C (APC) or factor Xa (FXa). Plasmin, the most potent fibrinolytic protease, inactivates FVIII as well as other clotting factors. However, the mechanism of FVIII inactivation by plasmin is poorly understood. FVIII activity reached to the peak value of ~2-fold increase at 3 min after the addition of plasmin in a one-stage clotting assay. Then, the activity was decreased rapidly and was undetectable within 30 min. This time-dependent reaction was not affected in the presence of von Willebrand factor and phospholipid. The activation of FVIII by plasmin was an ~50% level of that by FXa. The rate constant (min-1) of inactivation of FVIIIa by plasmin possessed ~11.3- and ~2.5-folds greater than those by FXa and APC in the presence of protein S, respectively. SDS-PAGE analysis showed that plasmin cleaved the 90~210-kDa heavy chain of FVIII to 50, 48,45, 40, and 38-kDa fragments via 90-kDa fragment. Using western blot and N-terminal sequence analyses, these fragments derived from the heavy chain were identified as A11-372, A1337-372-A2, A11-336, A2, and A137-336, respectively, by cleavages at Arg372, Arg740, Lys36 and Arg336 in the A1 domain. On the other hand, the 80-kDa light chain was cleaved to 67-kDa fragment via 70-kDa fragment by cleavages at Arg1721 and Arg1689, respectively, consistent with the pattern of cleavage by FXa. However, the cleavage at Arg336 by plasmin was much quicker than that at Arg372, contrast with that by FXa. Furthermore, this cleavage was faster than that by APC, consistent with rapid inactivation of FVIII. In addition, the cleavage at Arg336 of FVIIIa by plasmin was faster than that of isolated A1 or A1/A3-C1–C2 dimer, different with that by FXa. These results demonstrate the importance of cleavage at Arg336 for the mechanism of plasmin-catalyzed FVIII inactivation. Furthermore, this cleavage appears to be selectively modulated by the A2 domain that may interact with plasmin.


1975 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. M. Lavergne ◽  
Dominique Meyer ◽  
C. S. P. Jenkins ◽  
Marie-José Larrieu

Under conditions of high salt concentration, “Factor VIII complex” (Factor VHI activity, Willebrand Factor activity – measured using a washed platelet system and ristocetin – and Willebrand antigen) may be dissociated into a high (M. W. > 106) and a low molecular weight fragment. The dissociation of “Factor VIII complex” was studied by a two step procedure. Human or animal plasma or cryoprecipitate was submitted to gel filtration on Sepharose 4B, using 0.15 M NaCl, Imidazole or Tris-HCl Buffer as eluant. The void volume fraction, containing the three entities of “Factor VIII complex” was concentrated and submitted to a second gel filtration using a dissociating buffer as eluant (1 M NaCl or 0.25 M CaCl2). The three entities of “Factor VIII complex” were measured in the eluted fractions. “Factor VIII complex” was found to dissociate using the high salt buffer in some but not all animal species. When dissociation occurred, Willebrand Factor activity and antigen eluted in the void volume, and Factor VIII activity in later fractions. Heterologous antisera were raised against the different fractions and the reactivity towards human and animal plasma was studied.


Blood ◽  
1979 ◽  
Vol 54 (2) ◽  
pp. 310-321 ◽  
Author(s):  
ME Switzer ◽  
PA McKee

Abstract Factor VIII/von Willebrand factor (FVIII/vWF) is a glycoprotein with a molecular weight greater than one-million daltons. Two activities are associated with this large molecule: FVIII procoagulant activity and vWF activity. Incubation of FVIII/vWF with proteolytic enzymes causes rapid inactivation of the FVIII procoagulant activity but has little effect on the vWF activity or antigenicity. In an attempt to gain insight into the structural features required for these two activities, antisera were raised in rabbits to normal, thrombin-inactivated, and plasmin-inactivated FVIII/vWF. All of these proteolytically modified forms of FVIII/vWF cross-reacted with each of the rabbit antisera; each blocked the ability of a human inhibitor to inactivate native active FVIII/vWF. Each of the antisera was a potent inhibitor of vWF activity and inactivated vWF activity at the same titer. The antisera were much less potent inhibitors of FVIII activity than of vWF activity. Antibodies to thrombin-inactivated FVIII/vWF or normal FVIII/vWF had about the same ability to inactivate FVIII procoagulant activity. Surprisingly, those to plasmin-inactivated FVIII/vWF still retained about 50% of this inhibitory capacity. A comparison of the three types of antigens by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis in sodium dodecyl sulfate-6 M urea demonstrated that the structure of thrombin- inactivated FVIII/vWF was indistinguishable from that of normal FVIII/vWF, while plasmin-inactivated FVII/vWF was completely cleaved to lower molecular weight fragments. Some of the reported variations in the ability of rabbit antibodies to inhibit procoagulant activity may be due to partial degradation of the starting antigen. The retention by FVIII/vWF protein of its immunologic properties even after extensive proteolytic degradation suggests that under nondenaturing conditions, the conformation of the native and degraded molecules are very similar.


1976 ◽  
Vol 230 (2) ◽  
pp. 434-440 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sussman ◽  
W Rosner ◽  
HJ Weiss

Plasma, cryoprecipitate, Hemofil, and human factor VIII concentrate were dissolved in 1.0 M NaCl and chromatographed on Bio-Gel A-5m. With high concentrations of factor VIII the activity eluted as a symmetrical peak in the void volume; with a low factor VIII concentration the procoagulant activity was retarded. Dilution curves were performed for several human factor VIII concentrates. When the concentration of factor VIII was decreased, elution patterns showed a gradual transition from a peak in the void volume to a peak with a Ve/Vo of 1.7. Cryoprecipitate exhibited a similar behavior in 1.0 M NaCl, but the percent dissociation was greater than expected at high concentrations of factor VIII. When gel filtration was performed with 0.25 M CaCl2, significant dissociation occurred at all concentrations of factor VIII tested. The behavior of factor VIII in 1.0 M NaCl closely fit a theoretically derived curve for the dissociation of a protein from its binder. We conclude that the dissociation of factor VIII in 1 M NaCl is dependent on the concentration and purification of the procoagulant protein.


Blood ◽  
1979 ◽  
Vol 54 (2) ◽  
pp. 310-321
Author(s):  
ME Switzer ◽  
PA McKee

Factor VIII/von Willebrand factor (FVIII/vWF) is a glycoprotein with a molecular weight greater than one-million daltons. Two activities are associated with this large molecule: FVIII procoagulant activity and vWF activity. Incubation of FVIII/vWF with proteolytic enzymes causes rapid inactivation of the FVIII procoagulant activity but has little effect on the vWF activity or antigenicity. In an attempt to gain insight into the structural features required for these two activities, antisera were raised in rabbits to normal, thrombin-inactivated, and plasmin-inactivated FVIII/vWF. All of these proteolytically modified forms of FVIII/vWF cross-reacted with each of the rabbit antisera; each blocked the ability of a human inhibitor to inactivate native active FVIII/vWF. Each of the antisera was a potent inhibitor of vWF activity and inactivated vWF activity at the same titer. The antisera were much less potent inhibitors of FVIII activity than of vWF activity. Antibodies to thrombin-inactivated FVIII/vWF or normal FVIII/vWF had about the same ability to inactivate FVIII procoagulant activity. Surprisingly, those to plasmin-inactivated FVIII/vWF still retained about 50% of this inhibitory capacity. A comparison of the three types of antigens by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis in sodium dodecyl sulfate-6 M urea demonstrated that the structure of thrombin- inactivated FVIII/vWF was indistinguishable from that of normal FVIII/vWF, while plasmin-inactivated FVII/vWF was completely cleaved to lower molecular weight fragments. Some of the reported variations in the ability of rabbit antibodies to inhibit procoagulant activity may be due to partial degradation of the starting antigen. The retention by FVIII/vWF protein of its immunologic properties even after extensive proteolytic degradation suggests that under nondenaturing conditions, the conformation of the native and degraded molecules are very similar.


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