Identification of a Protein S-Interactive Site on the Factor VIII C2 Domain

Factor (F)VIII functions as a cofactor in the tenase complex responsible for phospholipid (PL) surface-dependent conversion of FX to FXa by FIXa. On the other hand, protein S (PS) functions as a cofactor of activated protein C that inactivates FVIII(a) and FV(a). We have reported a new regulatory mechanism on coagulation that PS directly impaired the FXase complex by competing the FIXa-FVIIIa interaction (Takeyama, Br J Haematol. 2008;143:409), and identified the PS-interactive site on the FVIII A2 domain (Takeyama, Thromb Haemost. 2009;102:645). However, the contribution of FVIII light chain (LC) to PS-binding has not been determined. In this study, several approaches were employed to assess a PS-FVIII LC interaction. The binding of FVIII LC to active site-modified FIXa (EGR-FIXa) was inhibited by PS dose-dependently (K_i; 4.6 nM) on ELISA. Because FVIII C2 domain has a binding site for FIXa, we examined whether FVIII C2 domain bound to PS. PS bound to FVIII C2 domain (K_d^app; 283 nM) by the ELISA. A SPR-based assay also revealed that FVIII C2 domain bound to PS (K_d; 62 nM). We have reported that a FIXa-interactive site exits on FVIII C2 domain (residues 2228-2240) (Soeda, J Biol Chem. 2009;284:3379). Therefore, we assessed the interaction of the synthetic peptide spanning the residues (2228-2240) with PS. ELISA showed that the peptide bound to PS (K_d^app; 104 µM). SPR-based assay also revealed that the peptide bound to PS (K_d; 31.4 µM), although scrambled peptide failed to bind to PS. Covalent cross-linking was observed between the biotynated 2228-2240 peptide and PS following reaction with EDC (1-ethyl-3-(3-dimethylaminopropyl)carbodiimide hydrochloride) using SDS-PAGE. This cross-linking formation was blocked by the addition of the unlabeled peptide. Furthermore, N-terminal sequence analysis of the peptide-PS product showed that one basic residue (K2239) could not be detected, supporting that this residue participates in cross-link formation. These results indicate that the 2228-2240 residues in the FVIII C2 domain, in particular K2239, may contribute to a PS-interactive site. To inquire further into the interactive region of FVIII C2 domain to PS, we prepared a stably expressed recombinant B-domainless FVIII mutants (E2228A, D2233A, K2236A, and K2239A), which were polar amino acids in the 2228-2240 residues, subsequently compared interaction with PS of the mutants with B-domainless FVIII wild type. To evaluate the binding affinity to PS, we performed SPR-based assay with the wild type FVIII and the FVIII mutants. The assay showed K2239A bound to PS with ~1.9-fold higher K_d value (28.1 nM) than that of wild type (K_d; 14.7 nM), although E2228A, D2233A, or K2236A bound to PS (K_d; 12.7, 16.3, and 10.3 nM, respectively) with no significant difference compared with wild type. In addition, to evaluate the effect of mutants for FXa generation, we assessed FXa generation assay with wild type or K2239A in the presence or absence PS, because K2239 might contribute to a PS interaction of FVIII. After each FVIII (1 nM) was reacted with various concentrations of PS in the presence of PL (20 µM) for 30 minutes, FVIII was activated by thrombin (30 nM), followed by the reaction with FIXa (40 nM) and FX (300 nM) for 1 minute. Although generated FXa with both wild type and K2239A were reduced in the presence of PS dose-dependently, compared with its absence, the inhibition ratio of K2239A was less than that of wild type (18.2% and 31%, respectively in the presence of 500 nM PS). On the other hand, the K_m value on FXa generation of K2239A for various concentrations of FIXa was ~1.8-fold higher than that of wild type (5.5±0.9 and 3.1±0.2 nM, respectively), suggesting that K2239 residue, involved in the FIXa-interactive site, might contribute to the inhibition of FVIII function by PS. In conclusion, FVIII C2 domain, in particular K2239, was possible to play an important role of the inhibitory mechanism to FVIII function by PS, due to the binding to PS.