Structural features of glutamine substrates for human plasma factor XIIIa (activated blood coagulation factor XIII)
Gorman, J.J.; Folk, J.E.
Journal of Biological Chemistry 255(2): 419-427
1980
ISSN/ISBN: 0021-9258
PMID: 6101325
Accession: 006491096
The action of human plasma factor XIIIa (thrombin-activated blood coagulation factor XIII) and guinea-pig liver transglutaminase on purified caseins, fibrin, the derivatized .gamma. chain of fibrin, and a number of synthetic glutamine peptides and peptide derivatives is reported. There are wide variations in the properties of the individual proteins and peptides as substrates for amine incorporation by the 2 transglutaminases. .beta.-Casein and several of its derivatives are excellent substrates for factor XIIIa. .beta.-casein is a relatively poor substrate for the liver enzyme. The primary site of amine incorporation by factor XIIIa in .beta.-casein was identified as glutamine 167. This was accomplished by labeling with fluorescent amine followed by proteolytic digestion and identification of labeled peptides. An 11-residue peptide and a 15-residue peptide, each containing 1 glutamine residue and each modeled after the primary site of amine incorporation in .beta.-casein, were prepared. A 13-residue peptide modeled after the primary crosslinking site in fibrin .gamma. chain was also prepared. Each of these polypeptides proved to be an efficient substrate for factor XIIIa and displayed significantly better substrate properties than a number of small glutamine peptide derivatives that are good substrates for liver transglutaminase.