Factor XI (FXI) 1 is a homodimeric plasma glycoprotein that circulates as a complex with its cofactor high molecular weight kininogen (HK) (1, 2) and is proteolytically activated on negatively charged surfaces by FXIIa to give rise to FXIa (3-10). The mechanism, involving interactions of FXII, prekallikrein (PK), and HK, by which contact activation is initiated and its significance in vivo have yet to be established, since individuals congenitally deficient in any one of these contact factors (FXII, HK, and PK) do not experience abnormal bleeding, suggesting that these proteins are not required for coagulation in vivo (11,12). In contrast, a deficiency of FXI can result in excessive bleeding after trauma or surgery (13,14). These observations suggest that FXI may be activated in vivo by a protease(s) other than FXIIa.The ability of thrombin, an enzyme generated late in the coagulation cascade, to activate FXI has been demonstrated (15,16). The site at which FXI is cleaved by thrombin is identical to that cleaved by FXIIa (16,17). Determination of the kinetic parameters of FXI activation by thrombin and FXIIa indicate that at a physiological concentration of FXI, in the presence of dextran sulfate, thrombin would be the more potent activator (16). Although FXI is readily activated by thrombin in a purified system with dextran sulfate present, the reaction may not proceed as readily in plasma (15,16,18), since although HK promotes the FXIIa-mediated reaction it inhibits thrombin-catalyzed activation of FXI (15,16,18). These observations raise the following two related questions. Is thrombin a physiological activator of FXI in plasma? What is the mechanism by which HK can inhibit thrombin-catalyzed FXI activation?The present study was undertaken to determine the sequence of amino acids in FXI that mediate its interaction with thrombin. Clarification of the mechanism of interaction of these two proteins might also help to elucidate the physiological importance of thrombin-catalyzed FXI activation. Four tandem repeat sequences (designated A1, A2, A3, and A4 or Apple domains) are present in the heavy chain of FXI (7). We have previously reported evidence for the presence of an HK binding site in the A1 domain (19,20), a binding site for FXIIa in the A4 domain (21), a substrate binding site for FIX in the A2 domain (22), and recently, a specific binding site for platelets in the A3 domain (23). Evidence for a binding site in the A1 domain of FXI that is important for interaction with thrombin is reported in the present study. were prepared in Escherichia coli using the QIAexpress pQE-9 expression vector (Qiagen Inc., Chatsworth, CA). PK was purified as described (25). FXI was assayed by minor modifications (26) of the kaolin-activated partial thromboplastin time (27). Human ␣-thrombin (2,800 NIH units/mg) was purchased from Enzyme Research Laboratories (South Bend, IN). All purified proteins appeared homogeneous by SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
Purification of Proteins-FXIPeptide Synth...