Crystal structure of the prothrombinase complex from the venom of Pseudonaja textilis

Abstract

The prothrombinase complex, composed of the protease factor (f)Xa and cofactor fVa, efficiently converts prothromb in to thromb in by specific sequential cleavage at 2 sites. How the complex assembles and its mechanism of prothrombin processing are of central importance to human health and disease, because insufficient thrombin generation is the root cause of hemophilia, and excessive thrombin production results in thrombosis. Efforts to determine the crystal structure of the prothrombinase complex have been thwarted by the dependence of complex formation on phospholipidmembrane association. PseutarinC isan intrinsically stable prothrombinase complex preassembled in the venom gland of the Au..