F. Donate et al., Dimerization of tissue factor supports solution-phase autoactivation of factor VII without influencing proteolytic activation of factor X, BIOCHEM, 39(37), 2000, pp. 11467-11476
Tissue factor (TF) is a transmembrane receptor that initiates the thromboge
nic cascade by assembly with the serine protease factor VII or VIIa (VII/VI
Ia) resulting in formation of the bimolecular active complex TF.VIIa. Chemi
cal cross-linking studies identified that a minor population of TF forms di
mers on the surface of cells, possibly influencing TF.VIIa proteolytic func
tion as a result of dimerization. We here investigate the effects of dimeri
zation of the extracellular domain of TF on the proteolytic function of the
TF.VIIa complex. The leucine zipper dimerization domain of the yeast trans
criptional factor GCN4 (LZ) was genetically fused at the C-terminus of the
extracellular domain of TF separated by a short linker (TF(L)LZ). TF(L)LZ h
omodimerized with a K-d similar to that of the LZ peptide. Tryptophan fluor
escence indicated that the two TF moieties were in close proximity and para
llel orientation in TF(L)LZ. TF(L)LZ dimers bound two molecules of VIIa, an
d VIIa binding did not influence the TF dimer equilibrium. Dimerization inf
luenced neither amidolytic nor the factor X activation activities of the TF
.VIIa complexes. Notably, dimer TF(L)LZ efficiently promoted the autoactiva
tion of VII to VIIa in solution in contrast to monomeric TF(L)LZ or TF1-218
. Thus, TF dimerization on cells may serve to "prime" the initiation of the
coagulation pathway by generating active TF.VIIa complexes for the subsequ
ent activation of downstream macromolecular substrates.