Identification of critical residues on thrombin mediating its interaction with fibrin

Thrombin binding to fibrin may be important in localizing thrombin to the site of vascular injury. However, fibrin-bound thrombin retains its catalytic activity toward fibrinogen, and may be prothrombotic under certain conditions. A collection of 52 purified thrombin mutants was used to identify those residues mediating the thrombin-fibrin interaction. Comparison of fibrinogen clotting activity with fibrin binding activity identified twenty residues involved in fibrinogen recognition with four of these residues important in fibrin binding (Lys65, His66, Tyr71, Arg73). No mutant was identified with normal clotting activity and deficient fibrin binding, suggesting that these two properties are not readily dissociable. A DNA thrombin aptamer that binds to these residues was able to inhibit the thrombin-fibrin interaction, and displace thrombin that was already bound. Mapping of these fibrin-binding residues on thrombin revealed that they are localized within exosite I, and comprise a subset of the residues important in fibrinogen recognition.