Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Structural And Mutational Characterization Of The Blood Coagulation Factor Viii C Domain Lipid Binding Interface, Shaun C. Peters

WWU Graduate School Collection

Blood coagulation factor VIII (fVIII) functions as a cofactor in the blood coagulation cascade for proteolytic activation of factor X by factor IXa. During coagulation, fVIII is activated and subsequently binds to activated platelet surfaces by coordination of the fVIII C1 and C2 domains to the exposed phosphatidylserine of activated platelet membranes. Structural and mutational studies have suggested that both hydrophobic and electrostatic interactions occur between the two tandem C domains and activated lipid surfaces, but models of C domain phospholipid binding propose conflicting regions that directly interact with the membrane surface. This thesis reports the determination of the molecular …