Dual Effect of Platelet Factor Four on the Activities of Factor Xa

Platelet Factor 4 (PF4) is a cationic molecule that binds to heparin with high affinity and neutralises the activity of the latter. Our recent studies indicate that heparin can promote an interaction of fXa with PF4 since neutralization of heparin activity by PF4 was dependent on the concentration of protease. To examine the contribution of PF4 in protease function, fXa activity was determined in chromogenic assays. Upon preincubation with fXa and heparin, PF4 (at a concentration of 100 nM) decreased the k_cat of S2765 peptide hydrolysis 4-fold and that of prothrombin activation about 2-fold. These results suggested an effect of PF4 on the primary specificity of the protease. In fact, PF4 exerted a mild effect (30 % decrease) on the Na⁺ dependence of fXa, consistent with linkage between Na⁺ and S1. PF4 preincubation with fXa also prevented the binding of the S1 probe p-aminobenzamidine (pAB) while simultaneous addition of PF4 and pAB diminished the contribution of PF4. In the presence of excess fVa (relative to fXa), kinetic parameters measuring fXa amidolytic activity in the presence of PF4 were restored to control values in the absence of PF4. Interestingly, high concentrations of PF4 (> 1 μM) totally restored fXa activity toward peptidyl substrate and strongly enhanced prothrombin activation, indicating a dual effect of PF4 on fXa activities. The inhibitory contribution of PF4 during prothrombin activation was due to a three-fold decreased affinity of fXa for fVa while enhancement of prothrombin activation was accompanied by a three-fold increase in fVa-dependent cofactor activity. Thus, the effects of PF4 possibly involved a region of the heparin/fVabinding exosite that is linked to the S1 and Na⁺ sites. These findings suggest that PF4 is a probe of fVa-dependent changes occurring in the active site of fXa and provide an explanation for the in vivo paradoxical effects of PF4 reported in the literature.