Active site blockade of factor VIIa alters its intracellular distribution

Factor VIIa binding to tissue factor on cell surfaces not only triggers the coagulation cascade but also induces various intracellular responses that may contribute to many pathophysiological processes. Active site-inhibited factor VIIa, similar to factor VIIa, binds to tissue factor on cell surfaces and subsequently gets internalized and degraded. At present, it is unknown whether factor VIIa and active site-inhibited factor VIIa undergo a similar intracellular processing. The data presented herein show that although a fraction of both the internalized factor VIIa and active site-inhibited factor VIIa recycle back to the cell surface, the amount of active site-inhibited factor VIIa recycled back to the cell surface was substantially higher than that of factor VIIa. Furthermore, internalized factor VIIa and not active site-inhibited factor VIIa associates with nuclear fractions. Factor VIIa associated with the nuclear fraction was intact and functionally active. In contrast to factor VIIa, tissue factor is not found in the nuclear fraction. Additional studies show that the internalized factor VIIa specifically associates with cytoskeletal proteins, actin, and tubulin. In summary, the present data reveal that despite the common pathway of tissue factor-mediated processing, considerable differences exist in the trafficking of factor VIIa and active site-inhibited factor VIIa in fibroblasts.