The second epidermal growth factor-like domain of human factor IXa mediates factor IXa binding to platelets and assembly of the factor X activating complex

Synergy Between Tissue Factor and Exogenous Factor XIa in Initiating Coagulation

OBJECTIVE

Recent evidence suggests involvement of coagulation factor XIa (FXIa) in thrombotic event development. This study was conducted to explore possible synergies between tissue factor (TF) and exogenous FXIa (E-FXIa) in thrombin generation.

APPROACH AND RESULTS

In thrombin generation assays, for increasing concentrations of E-FXIa with low, but not with high TF concentrations, peak thrombin significantly increased whereas lag time and time to peak significantly decreased. Similar dependencies of lag times and rates of thrombin generation were found in mathematical model simulations. In both in vitro and in silico experiments that included E-FXIa, thrombin bursts were seen for TF levels much lower than those required without E-FXIa. For in silico thrombin bursts initiated by the synergistic action of TF and E-FXIa, the mechanisms leading to the burst differed substantially from those for bursts initiated by high TF alone. For the synergistic case, sustained activation of platelet-bound FIX by E-FXIa, along with the feedback-enhanced activation of platelet-bound FVIIIa and FXa, was needed to elicit a thrombin burst. Furthermore, the initiation of thrombin bursts by high TF levels relied on different platelet FIX/FIXa binding sites than those involved in bursts initiated by low TF levels with E-FXIa.

CONCLUSIONS

Low concentrations of TF and exogenous FXIa, each too low to elicit a burst in thrombin production alone, act synergistically when in combination to cause substantial thrombin production. The observation about FIX/FIXa binding sites may have therapeutic implications.

Complex assemblies of factors IX and X regulate the initiation, maintenance, and shutdown of blood coagulation

Blood hemostasis is accomplished by a complex network of (anti-)coagulatory and fibrinolytic processes. These physiological processes are implemented by the assembly of multiprotein complexes involving both humoral and cellular components. Coagulation factor X, and particularly, factor IX, exemplify the dramatic enhancement that is obtained by the synergistic interaction of cell surface, inorganic and protein cofactors, protease, and substrate. With a focus on structure-function relationship, we review the current knowledge of activity modulation principles in the coagulation proteases factors IX and X and indicate future challenges for hemostasis research. This chapter is organized by describing the principles of hierarchical activation of blood coagulation proteases, including endogenous and exogenous protease activators, cofactor binding, substrate specificities, and protein inhibitors. We conclude by outlining pharmaceutical opportunities for unmet needs in hemophilia and thrombosis.

An ordered sequential mechanism for Factor IX and Factor IXa binding to platelet receptors in the assembly of the Factor X-activating complex

To define the contributions of the Omega-loop of the Gla (gamma-carboxyglutamic acid) domain and the EGF2 (second epidermal growth factor) domain of FIXa (Factor IXa) in the assembly of the FX-activating complex on activated platelets and phospholipid membranes, three recombinant FIXa chimeras were prepared with corresponding residues from the homologous coagulation protein, FVII: (i) Gly4-Gln11 (FIXa7Omegaloop), (ii) Cys88-Cys124 (FIXa7EGF2), and (iii) both Gly4-Gln11 and Cys88-Cys124 (FIXa7Omegaloop7EGF2). All three chimeras were similar to wild-type FIXa, as assessed by SDS/PAGE, active-site titration, content of Gla residues, activation rates by FXIa and rates of FXa generation in solution. Titrations of FX or FVIIIa on SFLLRN peptide-activated platelets and on phospholipid vesicles in the presence of FVIIIa revealed normal substrate and cofactor binding to all chimeras. In kinetic assays in the presence of phospholipid vesicles and FVIIIa, compared with wild-type FIXa K(d, app) approximately 4 nM, the FIX7Omegaloop chimera showed a 1.6-fold increase in K(d, app), the FIX7EGF2 chimera had a 7.4-fold increase in K(d, app), and the FIX7Omegaloop7EGF2 chimera showed a 21-fold increase in K(d, app). In kinetic assays and equilibrium platelet-binding assays with activated platelets and FVIIIa, compared with wild-type FIXa (V(max) approximately 5 nM min(-1); K(d, app) approximately 0.5 nM; B(max) approximately 550 sites/platelet; K(d) approximately 0.5 nM), the FIX7Omegaloop chimera displayed 2-fold decreases in V(max) and B(max) and 2-fold increases in K(d, app) and K(d). The FIX7EGF2 chimera displayed 2-fold decreases in V(max) and B(max) and 10-fold increases in K(d, app) and K(d). The FIX7Omegaloop7EGF2 chimera showed non-saturable curves and severely impaired rates of FXa generation, and non-saturable, non-specific, low-level binding to activated platelets. Thus both the Gla domain Omega-loop (Gly4-Gln11) and the EGF2 domain (Cys88-Cys124) are required to mediate the normal assembly of the FX-activating complex on activated platelets and on phospholipid membranes.

Identification of Residues Asn89, Ile90, and Val107 of the Factor IXa Second Epidermal Growth Factor Domain That Are Essential for the Assembly of the Factor X-activating Complex on Activated Platelets

Activated platelets promote intrinsic factor X-activating complex assembly by presenting high affinity, saturable binding sites for factor IXa mediated by two disulfide-constrained loop structures (loop 1, Cys88-Cys99; loop 2, Cys95-Cys109) within the second epidermal growth factor (EGF2) domain. To identify amino acids essential for factor X activation complex assembly, recombinant factor IXa point mutants in loop 1 (N89A, I90A, K91A, and R94A) and loop 2 (D104A, N105A, and V107A) were prepared. All seven mutants were similar to the native factor IXa by SDS-PAGE, active site titration, and content of gamma-carboxyglutamic acid residues. Kinetic constants obtained by either titrating factor X or factor VIIIa on SFLLRN-activated platelets or phospholipid vesicles revealed near normal values of Km(app) and Kd(app)FVIIIa for all mutants, indicating normal substrate and cofactor binding. In a factor Xa generation assay in the presence of activated platelets and cofactor factor VIIIa, compared with native factor IXa (Kd(app)FIXa approximately 1.1 nm, Vmax approximately 12 nm min(-1)), N89A displayed an increase of approximately 20-fold in Kd(app)FIXa and a decrease of approximately 20-fold in Vmax; I90A had an increase of approximately 5-fold in Kd(app)FIXa and approximately 10-fold decrease in Vmax; and V107A had an increase of approximately 3-fold in Kd(app)FIXa and approximately 4-fold decrease in Vmax. We conclude that residues Asn89, Ile90, and Val107 within loops 1 and 2 (Cys88-Cys109) of the EGF2 domain of factor IXa are essential for normal interactions with the platelet surface and for the assembly of the factor X-activating complex on activated platelets.

The assembly of the factor X-activating complex on activated human platelets

Platelet membranes provide procoagulant surfaces for the assembly and expression of the factor X-activating complex and promote the proteolytic activation and assembly of the prothrombinase complex resulting in normal hemostasis. Recent studies from our laboratory and others indicate that platelets possess specific, high-affinity, saturable, receptors for factors XI, XIa, IX, IXa, X, VIII, VIIIa, V, Va and Xa, prothrombin, and thrombin. Studies described in this review support the hypothesis that the factor X-activating complex on the platelet surface consists of three receptors (for the enzyme, factor IXa; the substrate, factor X; and the cofactor, factor VIIIa), the colocalization of which results in a 24 million-fold acceleration of the rate of factor X activation. Whether the procoagulant surface of platelets is defined exclusively by procoagulant phospholipids, or whether specific protein receptors exist for the coagulant factors and proteases, is currently unresolved. The interaction between coagulation proteins and platelets is critical to the maintenance of normal hemostasis and is pathogenetically important in human disease.

Identification of functionally important residues of the epidermal growth factor-2 domain of factor IX by alanine-scanning mutagenesis. Residues Asn(89)-Gly(93) are critical for binding factor VIIIa

This paper describes the consequences of alanine-scanning mutagenesis on 28 positions of the second epidermal growth factor (EGF-2) domain of factor IX. We identified four positions of Gln(97), Phe(98), Tyr(115), and Leu(117) that are critical for secretion of factor IX. Of the remaining mutations, 4 mutants (V86A, E113A, K122A, and S123A) are as active as wild-type factor IX (IXwt); 16 (D85A, K100A, N101A, D104A, N105A, R116A, E119A, T87A, I90A, K91A, R94A, E96A, S102A, K106A, T112A, and N120A) retain reduced but detectable activity, and 4 (N89A, N92A, G93A, and V107A) are nearly inert in the clotting assay. Both factor XIa and the factor VIIa-tissue factor complex effectively catalyzed the activation of these mutants except N89A. The mutant V107A failed to form the factor tenase complex with factor VIIIa because of a 35-fold increase in K(d). The mutants N89A and N92A did not compete with factor IXwt for factor VIIIa binding, and G93A exhibited a 6-fold increase in K(i) values in the competitive binding assay. It appears that mutations at these positions have significantly affected the interaction between factor IX and factor VIIIa, although other mutations had little effect on the binding of factor IX to factor VIIIa. Mutations in two regions, Thr(87)-Gly(93) and Asn(101)-Val(107), significantly increased the K(m) value of factor IXa (2-10-fold) in cleavage of factor X in the absence of factor VIIIa. In the presence of factor VIIIa, the catalytic efficiency of each mutant toward factor X paralleled its clotting activity. Briefly, we propose two relatively distinctive functions of factor IX for two adjacent regions in the EGF-2 domain; the first loop region (residues 89-94) is involved with the binding of its cofactor, factor VIIIa, and the third loop with connected beta-sheets (residues 102-108) is involved in the proper binding to the substrate, factor X.

The factor IXa second epidermal growth factor (EGF2) domain mediates platelet binding and assembly of the factor X activating complex

Previously we have determined that residues 88-109 (but not Arg(94)) in the second epidermal growth factor (EGF2)-like domain of factor IXa (FIXa) are important for assembly of the factor X (FX) activating complex on phospholipid vesicles (Wilkinson, F. H., London, F. S., and Walsh, P. N. (2002) J. Biol. Chem. 277, 5725-5733). Here we report that these residues are important for platelet binding affinity, stoichiometry, and assembly of the FX activating complex. We prepared several chimeric FIXa proteins using homologous sequences from factor VII (FVII): FIXa(FVIIEGF2) (FIX Delta 88-124,inverted Delta FVII91-127), FIXa(loop1) (FIX Delta 88-99,inverted Delta FVII91-102), FIXa(loop2) (FIX Delta 95-109,inverted Delta FVII98-112), and FIXa(loop3) (FIX Delta 111-124,inverted Delta FVII114-127) and tested their ability to bind to thrombin-activated platelets. Binding affinities (K(d) values in 10(-9) m) for the proteins were as follows in the presence and absence of FVIIIa, respectively: FIXa(N) (0.55 +/- 0.06, 2.9 +/- 0.45), FIXa(WT) (0.80 +/- 0.08, 3.5 +/- 0.5), FIXa(loop1) (19 +/- 4.0, 27 +/- 5.0), FIXa(loop2) (35 +/- 9.0, 65 +/- 12.0), and FIXa(loop3) (1.1 +/- 0.09, 5.0 +/- 0.90). These K(d) values are in good agreement with K((d)(app)) values (in 10(-9) m) determined from the activation of FX (in the presence and absence of FVIIIa, respectively): FIXa(N) (0.46 +/- 0.05, 1.40 +/- 0.14), FIXa(WT) (0.72 +/- 0.08, 3.8 +/- 0.08), FIXa(loop1) (3.2 +/- 0.72, 14.0 +/- 1.60), FIXa(loop2) (18.4 +/- 1.60, 26.3 +/- 3.40), and FIXa(loop3) (0.7 +/- 0.05, 3.0 +/- 0.15). Moreover, the stoichiometry of binding (sites/platelet) showed an agreement with V(max) of FX activation and was reduced in those proteins that also showed a decreased platelet binding affinity. A peptide corresponding to the FIX EGF2 domain (Leu(84)-Val(128)) was an effective inhibitor of FIXa binding to platelets in both the presence (K(i) = 0.7 x 10(-6) m) and the absence (K(i) = 1.5 x 10(-6) m) of FVIIIa and FX. We conclude that residues 88-109 of the FIXa EGF2 domain mediate binding to platelets and assembly of the FX activating complex.ut not Ar

Residues 88-109 of factor IXa are important for assembly of the factor X activating complex

Activated platelets and phospholipid vesicles promote assembly of the intrinsic factor X (FX) activating complex by presenting high-affinity binding sites for blood coagulation FIXa, FVIIIa, and FX. Previous reports suggest that the second epidermal growth factor (EGF)-like domain of FIXa mediates assembly of the FX activating complex (Ahmad, S. S., Rawala, R., Cheung, W. F., Stafford, D. W., and Walsh, P. N. (1995) Biochem. J. 310, 427-431; Wong, M. Y., Gurr, J. A., and Walsh, P. N. (1999) Biochemistry 38, 8948-8960). To identify important residues, we prepared several chimeric FIXa proteins using homologous sequences from FVII: FIXa(FVIIEGF2) (FIX Delta 88-124,inverted Delta FVII91-127), FIXa(loop1) (FIX Delta 88-99,inverted Delta FVII91-102), FIXa(loop2) (FIX Delta 95-109,inverted Delta FVII98-112), FIXa(loop3) (FIX Delta 111-124,inverted Delta FVII114-127), and point mutants (FIXaR94D and FIXa(loop1)G94R). In the presence and absence of FVIIIa, a 2- to 10-fold reduced V(max) of FX activation (nm FXa min(-1)) was observed for FIXa(FVIIEGF2), FIXa(loop1), FIXa(loop2), and FIXa(loop1)G94R, whereas FIXa(loop3) and FIXaR94D were normal. For all of the FIXa proteins, K(m)((app)) values were normal as were EC(50) values for interactions with FVIIIa. However, K(d)((app)) (in nm) for the FX activating complex assembled on phospholipid vesicles was increased for FIXa(FVIIEGF2) (43.3 +/- 2.70), FIXa(loop1)(10.9 +/- 2.8), FIXa(loop2) (70.5 +/- 1.60), and FIXa(loop1)G94R (17.1 +/- 2.90) relative to FIXa(N) (3.9 +/- 0.11), FIXa(WT) (4.6 +/- 0.17), FIXa(loop3) (4.5 +/- 0.20), and FIXaR94D (2.2 +/- 0.09) suggesting that reduced V(max) is a result of impaired complex assembly. These data indicate that residues 88-109 (but not Arg(94)) are important for normal assembly of the FX activating complex on phospholipid vesicles.