Blood coagulation plays a critical role not only in hemostasis but also in
many physiological and pathological conditions. Epidemiological studies hav
e shown that blood coagulation capacity in humans increases with age. Towar
ds understanding the underlying mechanisms, the age regulation of factor IX
, a key blood coagulation factor, was extensively studied. A series of huma
n factor IX minigenes, consisting of various components of the human factor
IX gene, were constructed and subjected to systematic analyses with HepG2
cells in culture and over the entire life span of transgenic mice. These st
udies identified critical gene structures that are essential for the unique
age-dependent expression patterns of the human factor IX gene-one acting b
y stabilizing gene transcription and another increasing the amount of mRNA
present, presumably by augmenting mRNA stability. These studies have set th
e stage for analyzing the overall age-based regulatory mechanisms of blood
coagulation.