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Plasma Factor Xiii Binds Specifically To Fibrinogen Molecules Containing Γ‘ Chains, Kevin R. Siebenlist, David A. Meh, Michael W. Mosesson

Biomedical Sciences Faculty Research and Publications

The difference between peak 1 and peak 2 fibrinogen lies in their γ chains. Peak 1 molecules contain 2 γA chains; peak 2 molecules contain 1 γA and 1 γ‘ chain, the latter of which contains a 20 amino acid extension (γ‘ 408−427) replacing the carboxyl-terminal 4 amino acids of the γA chain (γA 408−411). While the existence of γ‘ chains in plasma fibrinogen molecules has been known for many years, their function remains unknown. When fibrinogen is purified from plasma, the factor XIII zymogen (A₂B₂) copurifies with it and is found only in the peak …