[Determination of the secondary prothrombin structure under different degrees of citraconylation by means of ring...

A process of spontaneous activation of bovine prothrombin under acylation of cytacone anhydride is studied by means of ring dichroism and disc electrophoresis in sodium dodecylsulphate. Ring dichroism data have shown that native prothrombin contains 14% of alpha-helical structures, 36% of beta-structures and 50% of random coil. Cytraconylation results in a fragmentation of native prothrombin chain and is accompanies by the decrease of alpha-helical regions in the fragments formed. Poly-L-lysine, modified by citracone anydride, does not form alpha-helical regions.