Characterization of the Molecular Defect in Factor VR506A

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A poor anticoagulant response of plasma to activated protein C is correlated with a single mutation in the factor V molecule (Arg506-->Gln). Factor V was purified to homogeneity from plasma of two unrelated patients (patient I, factor VI, and patient II, factor VII), who are homozygous for this mutation. The factor V molecule from both patients has normal procoagulant activity when compared with factor V isolated from normal plasma in both a clotting time-based assay and in an assay measuring alpha-thrombin formation. The cleavage and subsequent inactivation by activated protein C (APC) of the alpha-thrombin-activated membrane-bound cofactor (factor Va) from both patients were analyzed and compared with the cleavage and inactivation of normal human factor Va. In normal factor Va, cleavage at Arg506 generates a M(r) = 75,000 fragment and a M(r) = 28,000/26,000 doublet and is necessary for the optimum exposure of the sites for subsequent cleavage at Arg306 and Arg679. Proteolysis at these sites leads to the appearance of M(r) - 45,000 and 30,000 fragments and a M(r) = 22,000/20,000 doublet. Cleavage at Arg306 is membrane-dependent and is required for complete inactivation. Following 5 min of incubation with APC (5.4 nM) membrane-bound normal factor Va (280 nM) has virtually no cofactor activity whereas under similar experimental conditions factor VaI and factor VaII retain approximately 50% of their initial activity. After 1 h of incubation with APC, factor VaI retains 20% of its initial cofactor activity whereas factor VaII has 10% remaining cofactor activity. The initial loss in cofactor activity (approximately 70%) of membrane-bound factor VaI and factor VaII during the first 10 min of the inactivation reaction is correlated with cleavage at Arg306 and appearance of a M(r) = 45,000 fragment and a M(r) = 62,000/60,000 doublet. Subsequently, the M(r) = 62,000/60,000 doublet is cleaved at Arg679 to generate a M(r) = 56,000/54,000 doublet resulting in complete loss of cofactor activity. Both procofactors, factor VI and factor VII, were inactivated following cleavage at Arg306 and Arg679, with APC inactivation rates equivalent to those observed for normal factor V. Our data demonstrate that: 1) cleavage at Arg506 is required for optimum exposure of the cleavage sites at Arg306 and Arg679 and rapid inactivation of membrane-bound factor Va; and 2) cleavage at Arg306 by APC on membrane-bound factor V occurs at the same rate in both normal and APC-resistant individuals. Thus cleavage at Arg306 and Arg679 and subsequent inactivation of the membrane-bound procofactor, factor V, does not require prior cleavage at Arg506 for optimum exposure.