Structure/function analysis of human factor XII using recombinant deletion mutants. Evidence for an additional region involved in the binding to negatively charged surfaces.

The binding site of human factor XII (FXII) for negatively charged surfaces has been proposed to be localized in the N-terminal region of factor XII. We have generated two recombinant factor XII proteins that lack this region: one protein consisting of the second growth-factor-like domain, the kringle domain, the proline-rich region and the catalytic domain of FXII (rFXII-U-like), and another consisting of only 16 amino acids of the proline-rich region of the heavy-chain region and the catalytic domain (rFXII-1pc). Each recombinant truncated protein, as well as recombinant full-length FXII (rFXII), were produced in HepG2 cells and purified by immunoaffinity chromatography. The capability of these recombinant proteins to bind to negatively charged surfaces and to initiate contact activation was studied. Radiolabeled rFXII-U-like and, to a lesser extent, rFXII-lpc bound to glass in a concentration-dependent manner, yet with lower efficiency than rFXII. The binding of the recombinant proteins was inhibited by a 100-fold molar excess of non-labeled native factor XII. On native polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, both truncated proteins appeared to bind also to dextran sulfate, a soluble negatively charged compound. Glass-bound rFXII-U-like was able to activate prekallikrein in FXII-deficient plasma (assessed by measuring the generation of kallikrein-C1-inhibitor complexes), but less efficiently than rFXII, rFXII-U-like and rFXII-lpc exhibited coagulant activity, but this activity was significantly lower than that of rFXII. These data confirm that the N-terminal part of the heavy-chain region of factor XII contains a binding site for negatively charged activating surfaces, and indicate that other sequences, possibly located on the second epidermal-growth-factor-like domain and/or the kringle domain, contribute to the binding of factor XII to these surfaces.

Monoclonal antibody F1 binds to the kringle domain of factor XII and induces enhanced susceptibility for cleavage by kallikrein.

In a previous study we have shown that monoclonal antibody F1 (MoAb F1), directed against an epitope on the heavy chain of factor XII distinct from the binding site for anionic surfaces, is able to activate factor XII in plasma (Nuijens JH, et al: J Biol Chem 264; 12941, 1989). Here, we studied in detail the mechanism underlying the activation of factor XII by MoAb F1 using purified proteins. Formation of factor XIIa was assessed by measuring its amidolytic activity towards the chromogenic substrate H-D-Pro-Phe-Arg-pNA (S-2302) in the presence of soybean trypsin inhibitor and by assessing cleavage on sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE). Upon incubation with MoAb F1 alone, factor XII was auto-activated in a time-dependent fashion, activation being maximal after 30 hours. Factor XII incubated in the absence of MoAb F1 was hardly activated by kallikrein, whereas in the presence of MoAb F1, but not in that of a control MoAb, the rate of factor XII activation by kallikrein was promoted at least 60-fold. Maximal activation of factor XII with kallikrein in the presence of MoAb F1 was reached within 1 hour. This effect of kallikrein on the cleavage of factor XII bound to MoAb F1 was specific because the fibrinolytic enzymes plasmin, urokinase, and tissue-type plasminogen activator could not substitute for kallikrein. Also, trypsin could easily activate factor XII, but in contrast to kallikrein, this activation was independent of MoAb F1. SDS-PAGE analysis showed that the appearance of amidolytic activity correlated well with cleavage of factor XII. MoAb F1-induced activation of factor XII in this purified system was not dependent on the presence of high-molecular-weight kininogen (HK), in contrast to the activation of the contact system in plasma by MoAb F1. Experiments with deletion mutants revealed that the epitopic region for MoAb F1 on factor XII is located on the kringle domain. Thus, this study shows that binding of ligands to the kringle domain, which does not contribute to the proposed binding site for negatively charged surfaces, may induce activation of factor XII. Therefore, these findings point to the existence of multiple mechanisms of activation of factor XII.