The Binding of Polyphosphate to Thrombin
It was recently found that inorganic polyphosphate, a component of human platelets, is a potent modifier of the blood coagulation and fibrinolytic cascades. Thrombin is an enzyme at the center of the process of blood coagulation. We hypothesize that polyphosphate can bind to thrombin, possibly via exosite 2. Heparin, a pharmaceutical given to patients with coagulation problems, binds to thrombin via this exosite. Using both immobilized heparin and polyphosphate, assays were developed to determine if polyphosphate and heparin compete for binding sites on thrombin. In the paper, it will be shown that polyphosphate binds to thrombin. However, results from the competitive assays show that polyphosphate and heparin do not compete for binding sites on thrombin.
School:
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Department:
Biochemistry
Research Advisor:
James H. Morrissey
Department of Research Advisor:
Biochemsity
Year of Publication:
2005