Project description:Factor VIII functions as a cofactor for Factor IXa in a membrane-bound enzyme complex. Membrane binding accelerates the activity of the Factor VIIIa-Factor IXa complex approx. 100000-fold, and the major phospholipid-binding motif of Factor VIII is thought to be on the C2 domain. In the present study, we prepared an fVIII-C2 (Factor VIII C2 domain) construct from Escherichia coli, and confirmed its structural integrity through binding of three distinct monoclonal antibodies. Solution-phase assays, performed with flow cytometry and FRET (fluorescence resonance energy transfer), revealed that fVIII-C2 membrane affinity was approx. 40-fold lower than intact Factor VIII. In contrast with the similarly structured C2 domain of lactadherin, fVIII-C2 membrane binding was inhibited by physiological NaCl. fVIII-C2 binding was also not specific for phosphatidylserine over other negatively charged phospholipids, whereas a Factor VIII construct lacking the C2 domain retained phosphatidyl-L-serine specificity. fVIII-C2 slightly enhanced the cleavage of Factor X by Factor IXa, but did not compete with Factor VIII for membrane-binding sites or inhibit the Factor Xase complex. Our results indicate that the C2 domain in isolation does not recapitulate the characteristic membrane binding of Factor VIII, emphasizing that its role is co-operative with other domains of the intact Factor VIII molecule.
Project description:Although much of the function of von Willebrand factor (VWF) has been revealed, detailed insight into the molecular structure that enables VWF to orchestrate hemostatic processes, in particular factor VIII (FVIII) binding and stabilization in plasma, is lacking. Here, we present the high-resolution solution structure and structural dynamics of the D' region of VWF, which constitutes the major FVIII binding site. D' consists of 2 domains, trypsin-inhibitor-like (TIL') and E', of which the TIL' domain lacks extensive secondary structure, is strikingly dynamic and harbors a cluster of pathological mutations leading to decreased FVIII binding affinity (type 2N von Willebrand disease [VWD]). This indicates that the backbone malleability of TIL' is important for its biological activity. The principal FVIII binding site is localized to a flexible, positively charged region on TIL', which is supported by the rigid scaffold of the TIL' and E' domain β sheets. Furthermore, surface-charge mapping of the TIL'E' structure reveals a potential mechanism for the electrostatically guided, high-affinity VWF⋅FVIII interaction. Our findings provide novel insights into VWF⋅FVIII complex formation, leading to a greater understanding of the molecular basis of the bleeding diathesis type 2N VWD.
Project description:Factor VIII (FVIII) plays a critical role in blood coagulation by forming the tenase complex with factor IXa and calcium ions on a membrane surface containing negatively charged phospholipids. The tenase complex activates factor X during blood coagulation. The carboxyl-terminal C2 domain of FVIII is the main membrane-binding and von Willebrand factor-binding region of the protein. Mutations of FVIII cause hemophilia A, whereas elevation of FVIII activity is a risk factor for thromboembolic diseases. The C2 domain-membrane interaction has been proposed as a target of intervention for regulation of blood coagulation. A number of molecules that interrupt FVIII or factor V (FV) binding to cell membranes have been identified through high throughput screening or structure-based design. We report crystal structures of the FVIII C2 domain under three new crystallization conditions, and a high resolution (1.15 A) crystal structure of the FVIII C2 domain bound to a small molecular inhibitor. The latter structure shows that the inhibitor binds to the surface of an exposed beta-strand of the C2 domain, Trp(2313)-His(2315). This result indicates that the Trp(2313)-His(2315) segment is an important constituent of the membrane-binding motif and provides a model to understand the molecular mechanism of the C2 domain membrane interaction.
Project description:Lactadherin, a glycoprotein secreted by a variety of cell types, contains two EGF domains and two C domains with sequence homology to the C domains of blood coagulation proteins factor V and factor VIII. Like these proteins, lactadherin binds to phosphatidylserine (PS)-containing membranes with high affinity. We determined the crystal structure of the bovine lactadherin C2 domain (residues 1 to 158) at 2.4 A. The lactadherin C2 structure is similar to the C2 domains of factors V and VIII (rmsd of C(alpha) atoms of 0.9 A and 1.2 A, and sequence identities of 43% and 38%, respectively). The lactadherin C2 domain has a discoidin-like fold containing two beta-sheets of five and three antiparallel beta-strands packed against one another. The N and C termini are linked by a disulfide bridge between Cys1 and Cys158. One beta-turn and two loops containing solvent-exposed hydrophobic residues extend from the C2 domain beta-sandwich core. In analogy with the C2 domains of factors V and VIII, some or all of these solvent-exposed hydrophobic residues, Trp26, Leu28, Phe31, and Phe81, likely participate in membrane binding. The C2 domain of lactadherin may serve as a marker of cell surface phosphatidylserine exposure and may have potential as a unique anti-thrombotic agent.
Project description:Factor VIII (FVIII) is the blood coagulation protein which when defective or deficient causes for hemophilia A, a severe hereditary bleeding disorder. Activated FVIII (FVIIIa) is the cofactor to the serine protease factor IXa (FIXa) within the membrane-bound Tenase complex, responsible for amplifying its proteolytic activity more than 100,000 times, necessary for normal clot formation. FVIII is composed of two noncovalently linked peptide chains: a light chain (LC) holding the membrane interaction sites and a heavy chain (HC) holding the main FIXa interaction sites. The interplay between the light and heavy chains (HCs) in the membrane-bound state is critical for the biological efficiency of FVIII. Here, we present our cryo-electron microscopy (EM) and structure analysis studies of human FVIII-LC, when helically assembled onto negatively charged single lipid bilayer nanotubes. The resolved FVIII-LC membrane-bound structure supports aspects of our previously proposed FVIII structure from membrane-bound two-dimensional (2D) crystals, such as only the C2 domain interacts directly with the membrane. The LC is oriented differently in the FVIII membrane-bound helical and 2D crystal structures based on EM data, and the existing X-ray structures. This flexibility of the FVIII-LC domain organization in different states is discussed in the light of the FVIIIa-FIXa complex assembly and function.
Project description:The development of pathogenic antibody inhibitors against coagulation factor VIII (FVIII) occurs in ∼30% of patients with congenital hemophilia A receiving FVIII replacement therapy, as well as in all cases of acquired hemophilia A. KM33 is an anti-C1 domain antibody inhibitor previously isolated from a patient with severe hemophilia A. In addition to potently blocking FVIII binding to von Willebrand factor and phospholipid surfaces, KM33 disrupts FVIII binding to lipoprotein receptor-related protein 1 (LRP1), which drives FVIII hepatic clearance and antigen presentation in dendritic cells. Here, we report on the structure of FVIII bound to NB33, a recombinant derivative of KM33, via single-particle cryo-electron microscopy. Structural analysis revealed that the NB33 epitope localizes to the FVIII residues R2090-S2094 and I2158-R2159, which constitute membrane-binding loops in the C1 domain. Further analysis revealed that multiple FVIII lysine and arginine residues, previously shown to mediate binding to LRP1, dock onto an acidic cleft at the NB33 variable domain interface, thus blocking a putative LRP1 binding site. Together, these results demonstrate a novel mechanism of FVIII inhibition by a patient-derived antibody inhibitor and provide structural evidence for engineering FVIII with reduced LRP1-mediated clearance.
Project description:Blood coagulation factor VIII is a glycoprotein cofactor that is essential for the intrinsic pathway of the blood coagulation cascade. Inhibitory antibodies arise either spontaneously or in response to therapeutic infusion of functional factor VIII into hemophilia A patients, many of which are specific to the factor VIII C2 domain. The immune response is largely parsed into "classical" and "non-classical" inhibitory antibodies, which bind to opposing faces cooperatively. In this study, the 2.61 Å resolution structure of the C2 domain in complex with the antigen-binding fragment of the 3E6 classical inhibitory antibody is reported. The binding interface is largely conserved when aligned with the previously determined structure of the C2 domain in complex with two antibodies simultaneously. Further inspection of the B factors for the C2 domain in various X-ray crystal structures indicates that 3E6 antibody binding decreases the thermal motion behavior of surface loops in the C2 domain on the opposing face, thereby suggesting that cooperative antibody binding is a dynamic effect. Understanding the structural nature of the immune response to factor VIII following hemophilia A treatment will help lead to the development of better therapeutic reagents.
Project description:IntroductionSoluble antigens complexed with immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibodies can induce robust adaptive immune responses in vitro and in animal models of disease. Factor VIII immune complexes (FVIII-ICs) have been detected in individuals with hemophilia A and severe von Willebrand disease following FVIII infusions. Yet, it is unclear if and how FVIII-ICs affect antibody development over time.MethodsIn this study, we analyzed internalization of FVIII complexed with epitope-mapped FVIII-specific IgG monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) by murine bone marrow-derived dendritic cells (BMDCs) in vitro and antibody development in hemophilia A (FVIII-/-) mice injected with FVIII-IC over time.ResultsFVIII complexed with 2-116 (A1 domain MAb), 2-113 (A3 domain MAb), and I55 (C2 domain MAb) significantly increased FVIII uptake by BMDC but only FVIII/2-116 enhanced antibody titers in FVIII-/- mice compared to FVIII alone. FVIII/4A4 (A2 domain MAb) showed similar FVIII uptake by BMDC to that of isolated FVIII yet significantly increased antibody titers when injected in FVIII-/- mice. Enhanced antibody responses observed with FVIII/2-116 and FVIII/4A4 complexes in vivo were abrogated in the absence of the FVIII carrier protein von Willebrand factor.ConclusionThese findings suggest that a subset of FVIII-IC modulates the humoral response to FVIII in an epitope-dependent manner, which may provide insight into the antibody response observed in some patients with hemophilia A.
Project description:Antibody inhibitor development in hemophilia A represents the most significant complication resulting from factor VIII (fVIII) replacement therapy. Recent studies have demonstrated that epitopes present in the C1 domain contribute to a pathogenic inhibitor response. In this study, we report the structure of a group A anti-C1 domain inhibitor, termed 2A9, in complex with a B domain-deleted, bioengineered fVIII construct (ET3i). The 2A9 epitope forms direct contacts to the C1 domain at 3 different surface loops consisting of Lys2065-Trp2070, Arg2150-Tyr2156, and Lys2110-Trp2112. Additional contacts are observed between 2A9 and the A3 domain, including the Phe1743-Tyr1748 loop and the N-linked glycosylation at Asn1810. Most of the C1 domain loops in the 2A9 epitope also represent a putative interface between fVIII and von Willebrand factor. Lastly, the C2 domain in the ET3i:2A9 complex adopts a large, novel conformational change, translocating outward from the structure of fVIII by 20 Å. This study reports the first structure of an anti-C1 domain antibody inhibitor and the first fVIII:inhibitor complex with a therapeutically active fVIII construct. Further structural understanding of fVIII immunogenicity may result in the development of more effective and safe fVIII replacement therapies.