The primary fibrin polymerization pocket: Three-dimensional structure of a 30-kDa C-terminal γ chain fragment complexed with the peptide Gly-Pro-Arg-Pro

K. P. Pratt, H. C.F. Côté, D. W. Chung, R. E. Stenkamp, E. W. Davie*

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

142 Scopus citations

Abstract

After vascular injury, a cascade of serine protease activations leads to the conversion of the soluble fibrinogen molecule into fibrin. The fibrin monomers then polymerize spontaneously and noncovalently to form a fibrin gel. The primary interaction of this polymerization reaction is between the newly exposed N-terminal Gly-Pro-Arg sequence of the α chain of one fibrin molecule and the C-terminal region of a γ chain of an adjacent fibrin(ogen) molecule. In this report, the polymerization pocket has been identified by determining the crystal structure of a 30-kDa C-terminal fragment of the fibrin(ogen) γ chain complexed with the peptide Gly-Pro-Arg-Pro. This peptide mimics the N terminus of the α chain of fibrin. The conformational change in the protein upon binding the peptide is subtle, with electrostatic interactions primarily mediating the association. This is consistent with biophysical experiments carried out over the last 50 years on this fundamental polymerization reaction.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)7176-7181
Number of pages6
JournalProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
Volume94
Issue number14
DOIs
StatePublished - 8 Jul 1997
Externally publishedYes

Keywords

  • Blood coagulation
  • Fibrinogen

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