Mechanisms that regulate the anticoagulant function of coagulation factor V

Abstract

Coagulation factor V is composed of domains A1-A2-B-A3-C1-C2 and is activated by thrombin through proteolytic cleavage at Arg 709, Arg 1018 and Arg 1545. Upon thrombin activation, the B-domain is released and the active factor Va is formed by the heavy (A1-A2) and light chains (A3-C1-C2). Factor Va functions as an essential cofactor to factor Xa in the conversion of prothrombin to thrombin during coagulation. Recently tit was shown that coagulation factor V, apart from being a precursor form to the procoagulant factor Va, also has anticoagulant properties, as it functions as a cofactor to activated protein C (APC). APC is a member of the anticoagulant pathway and downregulates the coagulation process through proteolytic inactivation of factors VIII/VIIIa and factors V/Va. In a factor VIIIa degradation assay, the APC-mediated inactivation of factor VIIIa is potentiated by the synergistic cofactors protein S and factor V. Protein S alone has little cofactor activity, whereas in the presence of factor V it is dramatically enhanced. This study provides insights into the molecular mechanisms that regulate the anticoagulant activity of factor V. Thrombin cleavage of factor V occurs in a sequential order. The thrombin cleavage site Arg 1545 is kinetically less favored than the other two sites, and cleavage at this site is the last to occur during thrombin activation of factor V. As a consequence of this, different activation intermediates exist that express different levels of procoagulant activity. The anticoagulant activities of these intermediates have now been studied. It was found that factor V could be cleaved by thrombin at both Arg 709 and Arg 1018 and still work fully as a cofactor to APC, whereas cleavage at Arg 1545 completely abolished the anticoagulant activity of factor V. This suggests that the APC cofactor function of factor V depends on the B-domain remaining attached to the A3 domain. This study further shows that APC converts coagulation factor V into a member of the anticoagulant pathway by cleaving factor V in the A2 domain at Arg 506. By cleavage of factor V, APC not only produces an anticoagulant cofactor, but at the same time eliminates the pool of procoagulant factor V, since APC cleaved factor V will have no future as a cofactor in the coagulation. The unique way by which APC and thrombin, through proteolytic cleavage, can convert factor V into either an anticoagulant or a procoagulant adds to the intriguing mechanisms that balance the procoagulant and anticoagulant forces.