The N-terminal autoinhibitory module of the A1 domain in von Willebrand factor stabilizes the mechanosensor catch bond.

ABSTRACT: The von Willebrand factor (VWF), by interacting with the circulatory system and platelets, harnesses hemodynamic forces to form hemostatic plugs or occlusive thrombi. The autoinhibitory modules (AIMs) flanking the VWF-A1 domain were found to contribute to its biomechanical activation. However, how AIM sequences regulate the VWF-A1 binding behavior is controversial and incompletely understood as their structures are currently unsolvable by crystallography. To address this, we first performed molecular dynamics simulations to predict the N-terminal AIM (N-AIM; residues Q1238-E1260) structure. Excitingly, we found that N-AIM could cooperate with C-AIM to form a joint Rotini-like structure, thereby partially autoinhibiting the VWF-A1-GPIbα interaction. Furthermore, we used biomembrane force pr

SUBMITTER: Zhao YC 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9175105 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature