Thrombin is an allosteric protease controlled through exosites flanking the catalytic groove. Binding of a peptide derived from hirudin (Hir 52-65 ) and/or of heparin to these opposing exosites alters catalysis. We have investigated the contribution of subsites S 2 and S 3 to this allosteric transition by comparing the hydrolysis of two sets of fluorescence-quenched substrates having all natural amino acids at positions P 2 and P 3 . Regardless of the amino acids, Hir 52-65 decreased, and heparin increased the k cat /K m value of hydrolysis by thrombin. Several lines of evidence have suggested that Glu 192 participates in this modulation. We have examined the role of Glu 192 by comparing the catalytic activity of thrombin and its E192Q mutant. Mutation substantially diminishes the selectivity of thrombin. The substrate with the "best" P 2 residue was cleaved with a k cat /K m value only 49 times higher than the one having the "least favorable" P 2 residue (versus 636-fold with thrombin). Mutant E192Q also lost the strong preference of thrombin for positively charged P 3 residues and its strong aversion for negatively charged P 3 residues. Furthermore, both Hir 52-65 and heparin increased the k cat /K m value of substrate hydrolysis. We conclude that Glu 192 is critical for the P 2 and P 3 specificities of thrombin and for the allostery mediated through exosite 1.Thrombin (1, 2) is a multifunction serine protease finely tuned through: 1) restrictions fulfilled by the nature of the P 3 to P 3 Ј residues of the substrate, 1 that the S 3 to S 3 Ј subsites of the protease must accommodate, 2) steric hindrance resulting from surface loops, that limit access to the active site, 3) secondary exosites (one apolar and two positively charged) that strengthen the binding of cognate macromolecules (e.g. substrates such as fibrinogen but also inhibitors such as hirudin), and 4) allosteric control conferred by various cofactors (3). Several lines of evidence suggest that Glu 192 is a major player in the specificity of thrombin (4).2 Overall, hydrolysis by thrombin of its "best" substrates is little affected by the E192Q mutation, but new activities emerge that are severely restrained in normal thrombin. The E192Q mutant activates bovine factor X (5) and is efficiently inactivated by the serpin ␣ 1 -antitrypsin (6) and by the bovine pancreatic trypsin inhibitor (BPTI) 3 (7, 8). Glu 192 also seems to participate in the allosteric modulation of thrombin (4, 9). E192Q activates the anticoagulant protein C faster than thrombin; however, in the presence of the cofactor thrombomodulin, this difference disappears (4). Notably, the side chain of Glu 192 changes its conformation upon binding of a ligand to exosite 1 (10 -12).Among the effectors altering thrombin catalysis, molecules as diverse as inorganic ions, tryptamine analogs, polysaccharides, and proteins (or peptides derived from these proteins) have been identified. Sodium ions are allosteric modulators of thrombin, along with other serine proteases having a tyrosine in position...