Active site of bovine factor Xa. Characterization using substituted benzamidines as competitive inhibitors and affinity-labeling reagents

The conformational switch from the factor X zymogen to protease state mediates exosite expression and prothrombinase assembly

Zymogens of the chymotrypsin-like serine protease family are converted to the protease state following insertion of a newly formed, highly conserved N terminus. This transition is accompanied by active site formation and ordering of several surface loops in the catalytic domain. Here we show that disruption of this transition in factor X through mutagenesis (FXa(I16L) and FXa(V17A)) not only alters active site function, but also significantly impairs Na(+) and factor Va binding. Active site binding was improved in the presence of high NaCl or with saturating amounts of factor Va membranes, suggesting that allosteric linkage exists between these sites. In line with this, irreversible stabilization of FXa(I16L) with Glu-Gly-Arg-chloromethyl ketone fully rescued FVa binding. Furthermore, the K(m) for prothrombin conversion with the factor Xa variants assembled into prothrombinase was unaltered, whereas the k(cat) was modestly reduced (3- to 4-fold). These findings show that intramolecular activation of factor X following the zymogen to protease transition not only drives catalytic site activation but also contributes to the formation of the Na(+) and factor Va binding sites. This structural plasticity of the catalytic domain plays a key role in the regulation of exosite expression and prothrombinase assembly.

Binding of the bovine basic pancreatic trypsin inhibitor (Kunitz inhibitor) to human and bovine factor Xa. A thermodynamic study

The effect of pH and temperature on the apparent association equilibrium constant (Ka) for the binding of the bovine basic pancreatic trypsin inhibitor (BPTI, Kunitz inhibitor) to human and bovine factor Xa (Stuart-Prower factor; EC 3.4.21.6) has been investigated. Under all the experimental conditions, values of Ka for BPTI binding to human and bovine factor Xa are identical. On lowering the pH from 9.5 to 4.5, values of Ka (at 21.0 degrees C) for BPTI binding to human and bovine factor Xa decrease, thus reflecting the acidic pK shift of the His57 catalytic residue from 7.1, in the free enzyme, to 5.2, in the proteinase-inhibitor complex. At pH 8.0, values of the apparent thermodynamic parameters for BPTI binding to human and bovine factor Xa are: Ka = 2.1 x 10(5)M-1 (at 21.0 degrees C), delta G degree = -29.7 kJ/mol (at 21.0 degrees C), delta S degree = +161 entropy units (at 21.0 degrees C), and delta H degree = +17.6 kJ/mol (temperature-independent over the explored range, from 5.0 degrees C to 45.0 degrees C). Thermodynamics of BPTI binding to human and bovine factor Xa have been analysed in parallel with those of related serine (pro)enzyme/Kazal- and /Kunitz-type inhibitor systems. Considering the known molecular models, the observed binding behaviour of BPTI to human and bovine factor Xa was related to the inferred stereochemistry of the proteinase/inhibitor contact region.

Inhibition of serine proteinases by tetra-p-amidinophenoxy-neo-pentane: thermodynamic and molecular modeling study

The inhibitory effect of the aromatic tetra-benzamidine derivative tetra-p-amidinophenoxy-neo-pentane (TAPP) on the catalytic properties of beta-trypsin (EC 3.4.21.4), alpha-thrombin (EC 3.4.21.5), factor Xa (EC 3.4.21.6), Lys77-plasmin (EC 3.4.21.7) and beta-kallikrein-B (EC 3.4.21.35) was investigated (between pH 2 and 8, I = 0.1 M; T = 37 +/- 0.5 degrees C), and analyzed in parallel with that of benzamidine, commonly taken as a molecular inhibitor model of serine proteinases. Over the whole pH range explored, TAPP and benzamidine show the same values of the dissociation inhibition constant (Ki) for beta-trypsin; at variance with the affinity of TAPP for alpha-thrombin, factor Xa, Lys77-plasmin and beta-kallikrein-B which is higher than that found for benzamidine association around neutrality, but tends to converge in the acidic pH limb. On lowering the pH from 5.5 to 3.0, values of Ki for TAPP binding to beta-trypsin as well as for benzamidine association to all the enzymes investigated decreased thus reflecting the pK-shift, upon inhibitor binding, of a single ionizing group. Over the same pH range, values of Ki for TAPP binding to alpha-thrombin, factor Xa, Lys77-plasmin and beta-kallikrein-B may be described as depending on the pK-shift, upon inhibitor association, of two equivalent proton-binding amino acid residues. Considering the X-ray three-dimensional structures and the computer-generated molecular models of serine proteinases: TAPP and :benzamidine adducts, the observed binding behaviour of TAPP and benzamidine to the enzymes considered has been related to the inferred stereochemistry of proteinase: inhibitor contact region(s).

Effect of limited modification of amino groups on the reactivity of human factor Xa

The basis of the specificity of human coagulation factor Xa has been probed with a reagent that reacts with nucleophiles, N-succinimidylpropionate. At pH 8.0 and 0.25 mM N-succinimidylpropionate, 0.4 microM factor Xa lost approx. 90% of its activity toward prothrombin in 4 min. The decay was first-order, k = 0.64 min-1, which increased to 0.98 min-1 in 1 mM Ca2+, and the dependence of k upon pH was consistent with primary amines being the target. The rate of modification was unaffected by the presence of a tetrapeptide substrate during modification; likewise, activity toward a tripeptide p-nitroanilide was unaltered during exposure of factor Xa to N-succinimidylpropionate with or without Ca2+. In addition, inhibition by antithrombin III was retained with a somewhat enhanced rate after modification; however, the acceleration of this by heparin was significantly less. Kinetic determination of the number of residues modified gave a reaction order of 2.0, while reaction with N-succinimidyl[3H]propionate yielded labeled factor Xa containing 1.0 mol N-succinimidylpropionate/mol factor Xa and 50% normal clotting activity, or 2.0 mol N-succinimidylpropionate/mol and 1% activity, respectively. Thus, one nucleophilic group is required for the reaction of factor Xa with prothrombin but not for the hydrolysis of peptides or recognition of antithrombin III. The decay of clotting activity of the factor X zymogen in N-succinimidylpropionate was much slower though still Ca2+-dependent. Conversely, the reaction of a related compound--N-succinimidyl(4-hydroxyphenyl)propionate or Bolton-Hunter reagent--with factor Xa broadly resembled that of N-succinimidylpropionate but the decay curves indicated more complex kinetics. Therefore, the target groups vary in their accessibility to modification according to the structural characteristics of both the protein and the reagent.

Transition-state inhibition of thrombin and trypsin by amidinophenylpyruvates

The interactions of human thrombin and bovine trypsin with 4-amidinophenylpyruvate (p-APPA), 3-amidinophenylpyruvate (m-APPA) and benzamidine were studied by equilibrium binding and by stopped-flow kinetics with proflavin displacement. The excellent inhibitory properties of p-APPA with both enzymes are explained by a two-step transition-state mechanism in which the initial Michaelis complex E.I reacts rapidly to form a fairly stable, chemically bonded complex E-I, in which the keto group of p-APPA forms a hemiketal with the gamma-O-atom of Ser195 at the active site. The hemiketal complex of thrombin and p-APPA may be further stabilized by a hydrogen bond between a carboxylate oxygen of p-APPA and the N tau-atom (= N epsilon 2) of His57, as was previously shown for the trypsin-p-APPA complex by X-ray crystal structure analysis by J. Walter and W. Bode. m-APPA is apparently sterically incapable of forming a hemiketal with Ser195 O gamma; it does not bind to thrombin or trypsin in a time-dependent manner, and it displays KI values with both enzymes close to those obtained for benzamidine itself. In the p-APPA-thrombin reaction the overall binding constant KI (E-I) is 1.3 microM, while the initial binding displays a KM (E.I) estimated at least 100-fold higher (700 microM). The half-time for the formation of E-I is about 0.6 s at a p-APPA concentration of 1 microM.

The X-ray crystal structure analysis of the refined complex formed by bovine trypsin and p-amidinophenylpyruvate at 1.4 A resolution

The X-ray crystal structure of the complex formed by bovine beta-trypsin and the potent small inhibitor p-amidinophenylpyruvate at pH 7.6, has been determined by difference Fourier methods at 1.4 A resolution and subsequently refined to a crystallographic R value of 0.191, applying diagonal matrix least-squares procedures including energy constraints. The amidino and the phenyl group of this inhibitor are bound to the specificity pocket, essentially as previously observed in benzamidine-trypsin. The reactive Ser195 O gamma of trypsin forms a covalent bond of length 1.7 A to the carbonyl carbon of the pyruvate group. The hybridization of this carbonyl carbon is just between trigonal and tetrahedral. The imidazole ring of His57 is in a correct orientation to form bonds via its N epsilon 2 hydrogen to one of the carboxylate oxygens of p-amidinophenylpyruvate and to Ser195 O gamma. The probable proton shift makes Ser195 O gamma more nucleophilic and the attacked carbonyl carbon of p-amidinophenylpyruvate more electrophilic and thus facilitates bond formation. These specific interactions offer a qualitative explanation for the unique binding properties of p-amidinophenylpyruvate and for the applicability of the quantitative structure-activity relations previously found by Markwardt and coworkers for three series of p-amidinophenylalkanone compounds with carbonyl groups in alpha-, beta- and gamma-position to the phenyl ring.