Thromb Haemost 2012; 107(05): 875-883
DOI: 10.1160/TH11-10-0731
Blood Coagulation, Fibrinolysis and Cellular Haemostasis
Schattauer GmbH

Fibrinogen residue γAla341 is necessary for calcium binding and ‘A-a’ interactions

Rojin Park
1   Department of Laboratory Medicine, Soon Chun Hyang University Hospital, Seoul, Republic of Korea
2   Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
,
Lifang Ping
2   Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
,
Jaewoo Song
3   Department of Laboratory Medicine, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea
,
Sung-Yu Hong
4   Cardiovascular Product Evaluation Center, Yonsei University Health System, Seoul, Republic of Korea
,
Tae-Youn Choi
1   Department of Laboratory Medicine, Soon Chun Hyang University Hospital, Seoul, Republic of Korea
,
Jong-Rak Choi
3   Department of Laboratory Medicine, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea
,
Oleg V. Gorkun
2   Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
,
Susan T. Lord
2   Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
› Author Affiliations
Financial support: This work was supported by National Research Foundation of Korea Grant funded by the Korean Government (KRF-2007–331-E00205 to R.P.) and the grant from the NIH/ NHLBI (HL031048 to S.T.L.).
Further Information

Publication History

Received: 23 October 2011

Accepted after minor revision: 15 March 2011

Publication Date:
25 November 2017 (online)

Summary

The fibrinogen γ-module has several important sites relating to fibri-nogen function, which include the high affinity calcium binding site, hole ‘a’ that binds with knob ‘A’, and the D:D interface. Residue γAla341, which is located in the vicinity of these sites, is altered in three variant fibrinogens: fibrinogen Seoul (γAla341Asp), Tolaga Bay (γAla341Val), and Lyon III (γAla341Thr). In order to investigate the impaired polymerisation of fibrinogens γAla341Asp and γAla341Val to understand the role of γAla341 in fibrin polymerisation and fibrinogen synthesis, we have expressed γAla341Asp and γAla341Val in Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells, purified these fibrinogens from the culture media and performed biochemical tests to elucidate their function. Expression in CHO cells was similar for these variants. For both variants the kinetics of thrombin-catalysed FpA release was not different from normal fibrinogen, while FpB release was slower than that of normal. Thrombin-catalysed polymerisation of both variants was dependent on the calcium concentration. At physiologic calcium (1 mM) the variants showed impaired polymerisation with a longer lag period and a slower Vmax than normal fibrinogen. Scanning electron micrographs showed the clots were less organised than normal, having thicker and more twisted fibers, and larger pores. Analysis by SDS-PAGE showed that factor XIIIa-catalysed γ and α chain cross-linking was delayed, and plas-min-catalysed lysis was not reduced by the presence of 5 mM calcium or 5 mM GPRP (Gly-Pro-Arg-Pro). Our data indicate that fibrinogen residue γAla341 is important for the proper conformation of the γ-module, maintaining calcium-binding site and ‘A-a’ interactions.

 
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