Tissue factor, also called platelet tissue factor or Coagulation factor III,[5] is a protein present in subendothelial tissue and leukocytes which plays a major role in coagulation and, in humans, is encoded by F3gene. Its role in the blood clotting is the initiation of thrombin formation from the zymogenprothrombin. Thromboplastin defines the cascade that leads to the activation of factor X—the tissue factor pathway. In doing so, it has replaced the previously named extrinsic pathway in order to eliminate ambiguity.
Function
The F3 gene encodes tissue factor also known as coagulation factor III, which is a cell surface glycoprotein. This factor enables cells to initiate the blood coagulation cascades, and it functions as the high-affinity receptor for the coagulation factor VII. The resulting complex provides a catalytic event that is responsible for initiation of the coagulation protease cascades by specific limited proteolysis. Unlike the other cofactors of these protease cascades, which circulate as nonfunctional precursors, this factor is a potent initiator that is fully functional when expressed on cell surfaces. There are three distinct domains of this factor: extracellular, transmembrane, and cytoplasmic. This protein is the only one in the coagulation pathway for which a congenital deficiency has not been described.[6] In addition to the membrane-bound tissue factor, soluble form of tissue factor was also found which results from alternatively spliced tissue factor mRNA transcripts, in which exon 5 is absent and exon 4 is spliced directly to exon 6.[7][8]
Coagulation
Tissue factor (TF) is the cell surface receptor for the serine protease factor VIIa.
The best known function of tissue factor is its role in blood coagulation. The complex of TF with factor VIIa catalyzes the conversion of the inactive protease factor X into the active protease factor Xa.
Together with factor VIIa, tissue factor forms the extrinsic pathway of coagulation. This is opposed to the intrinsic (amplification) pathway, which involves both activated factor IX and factor VIII. Both pathways lead to the activation of factor X (the common pathway), which combines with activated factor V in the presence of calcium and phospholipid to produce thrombin (thromboplastin activity).
Cytokine signaling
TF is related to a protein family known as the cytokine receptor class II family. The members of this receptor family are activated by cytokines. Cytokines are small proteins that can influence the behavior of white blood cells. Binding of VIIa to TF has also been found to start signaling processes inside the cell. The signaling function of TF/VIIa plays a role in angiogenesis and apoptosis. Pro-inflammatory and pro-angiogenic responses are activated by TF/VIIa-mediated cleavage by the protease-activated receptor 2 (PAR2).[9] EphB2 and EphA2 of the Eph tyrosine kinase receptor (RTK) family can also be cleaved by TF/VIIa.[10]
an extracellular domain, which consists of two fibronectin type III modules whose hydrophobic cores merge in the domain-domain interface. This serves as a (probably rigid) template for factor VIIa binding.
a cytosolic domain of 21 amino acids length inside the cell which is involved in the signaling function of TF.
Note that one of factor VIIa's domains, GLA domain, binds in the presence of calcium to negatively charged phospholipids, and this binding greatly enhances factor VIIa binding to tissue factor.
Tissue distribution
Some cells release TF in response to blood vessel damage (see next paragraph) and some do only in response to inflammatory mediators (endothelial cells/macrophages).
TF is expressed by cells which are normally not exposed to flowing blood, such as sub-endothelial cells (e.g. smooth muscle cells) and cells surrounding blood vessels (e.g. fibroblasts). This can change when the blood vessel is damaged by, for example, physical injury or rupture of atherosclerotic plaques. Exposure of TF-expressing cells during injury allows the complex formation of TF with factor VII. Factor VII and TF form an equimolar complex in the presence of calcium ions, leading to the activation of factor VII on a membrane surface.
The inner surface of the blood vessel consists of endothelial cells. Endothelial cells do not express TF except when they are exposed to inflammatory molecules such as tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha). Another cell type that expresses TF on the cell surface in inflammatory conditions is the monocyte (a white blood cell).
Thromboplastin
Historically, thromboplastin was a lab reagent, usually derived from placental sources, used to assay prothrombin times (PT time). Thromboplastin, by itself, could activate the extrinsic coagulation pathway. When manipulated in the laboratory, a derivative could be created called partial thromboplastin, which was used to measure the intrinsic pathway. This test is called the aPTT, or activated partial thromboplastin time. It was not until much later that the subcomponents of thromboplastin and partial thromboplastin were identified. Thromboplastin contains phospholipids as well as tissue factor, both of which are needed in the activation of the extrinsic pathway, whereas partial thromboplastin does not contain tissue factor. Tissue factor is not needed to activate the intrinsic pathway.
^"Human PubMed Reference:". National Center for Biotechnology Information, U.S. National Library of Medicine.
^"Mouse PubMed Reference:". National Center for Biotechnology Information, U.S. National Library of Medicine.
^Zhou RF, Liu Y, Wang YX, Mo W, Yu M (October 2011). "Coagulation factor III (tissue factor) is required for vascularization in zebrafish embryos". Genetics and Molecular Research. 10 (4): 4147–4157. doi:10.4238/2011.October.31.2. PMID22057990.
^Guo W, Wang H, Zhao W, Zhu J, Ju B, Wang X (January 2001). "Effect of all-trans retinoic acid and arsenic trioxide on tissue factor expression in acute promyelocytic leukemia cells". Chinese Medical Journal. 114 (1): 30–34. PMID11779431.
^Bogdanov VY, Balasubramanian V, Hathcock J, Vele O, Lieb M, Nemerson Y (April 2003). "Alternatively spliced human tissue factor: a circulating, soluble, thrombogenic protein". Nature Medicine. 9 (4): 458–462. doi:10.1038/nm841. PMID12652293. S2CID13173744.
^Muller YA, Ultsch MH, de Vos AM (February 1996). "The crystal structure of the extracellular domain of human tissue factor refined to 1.7 A resolution". Journal of Molecular Biology. 256 (1): 144–159. doi:10.1006/jmbi.1996.0073. PMID8609606.
^Zhang E, St Charles R, Tulinsky A (February 1999). "Structure of extracellular tissue factor complexed with factor VIIa inhibited with a BPTI mutant". Journal of Molecular Biology. 285 (5): 2089–2104. doi:10.1006/jmbi.1998.2452. PMID9925787.
Further reading
Gouault-Helimann M, Josso F (October 1979). "[Initiation in vivo of blood coagulation. The role of white blood cells and tissue factor (author's transl)]". La Nouvelle Presse Médicale. 8 (40): 3249–3253. PMID392457.
McVey JH (September 1999). "Tissue factor pathway". Bailliere's Best Practice & Research. Clinical Haematology. 12 (3): 361–372. doi:10.1053/beha.1999.0030. PMID10856975.
Konigsberg W, Kirchhofer D, Riederer MA, Nemerson Y (September 2001). "The TF:VIIa complex: clinical significance, structure-function relationships and its role in signaling and metastasis". Thrombosis and Haemostasis. 86 (3): 757–771. doi:10.1055/s-0037-1616129. PMID11583305. S2CID28579579.
Versteeg HH, Peppelenbosch MP, Spek CA (December 2001). "The pleiotropic effects of tissue factor: a possible role for factor VIIa-induced intracellular signalling?". Thrombosis and Haemostasis. 86 (6): 1353–1359. doi:10.1055/s-0037-1616734. PMID11776298. S2CID10976556.
Engelmann B, Luther T, Müller I (January 2003). "Intravascular tissue factor pathway--a model for rapid initiation of coagulation within the blood vessel". Thrombosis and Haemostasis. 89 (1): 3–8. doi:10.1055/s-0037-1613535. PMID12540946. S2CID32138198.
Yu JL, May L, Klement P, Weitz JI, Rak J (February 2004). "Oncogenes as regulators of tissue factor expression in cancer: implications for tumor angiogenesis and anti-cancer therapy". Seminars in Thrombosis and Hemostasis. 30 (1): 21–30. doi:10.1055/s-2004-822968. PMID15034795. S2CID260317043.
Fernandez PM, Patierno SR, Rickles FR (February 2004). "Tissue factor and fibrin in tumor angiogenesis". Seminars in Thrombosis and Hemostasis. 30 (1): 31–44. doi:10.1055/s-2004-822969. PMID15034796. S2CID260320942.
1ahw: A COMPLEX OF EXTRACELLULAR DOMAIN OF TISSUE FACTOR WITH AN INHIBITORY FAB (5G9)
1boy: EXTRACELLULAR REGION OF HUMAN TISSUE FACTOR
1dan: COMPLEX OF ACTIVE SITE INHIBITED HUMAN BLOOD COAGULATION FACTOR VIIA WITH HUMAN RECOMBINANT SOLUBLE TISSUE FACTOR
1fak: HUMAN TISSUE FACTOR COMPLEXED WITH COAGULATION FACTOR VIIA INHIBITED WITH A BPTI-MUTANT
1j9c: Crystal Structure of tissue factor-factor VIIa complex
1jps: Crystal structure of tissue factor in complex with humanized Fab D3h44
1o5d: Dissecting and Designing Inhibitor Selectivity Determinants at the S1 site Using an Artificial Ala190 Protease (Ala190 uPA)
1tfh: EXTRACELLULAR DOMAIN OF HUMAN TISSUE FACTOR
1uj3: Crystal structure of a humanized Fab fragment of anti-tissue-factor antibody in complex with tissue factor
1w0y: TF7A_3771 COMPLEX
1w2k: TF7A_4380 COMPLEX
1wqv: Human Factor Viia-Tissue Factor Complexed with propylsulfonamide-D-Thr-Met-p-aminobenzamidine
1wss: Human Factor Viia-Tissue Factor in Complex with peprid mimetic inhibitor that has two charge groups in P2 and P4
1wtg: Human Factor Viia-Tissue Factor Complexed with ethylsulfonamide-D-biphenylalanine-Gln-p-aminobenzamidine
1wun: Human Factor Viia-Tissue Factor Complexed with ethylsulfonamide-D-Trp-Gln-p-aminobenzamidine
1wv7: Human Factor Viia-Tissue Factor Complexed with ethylsulfonamide-D-5-propoxy-Trp-Gln-p-aminobenzamidine
1z6j: Crystal Structure of a ternary complex of Factor VIIa/Tissue Factor/Pyrazinone Inhibitor
2a2q: Complex of Active-site Inhibited Human Coagulation Factor VIIa with Human Soluble Tissue Factor in the Presence of Ca2+, Mg2+, Na+, and Zn2+
2aei: Crystal structure of a ternary complex of factor VIIa/tissue factor and 2-[[6-[3-(aminoiminomethyl)phenoxy]-3,5-difluro-4-[(1-methyl-3-phenylpropyl)amino]-2-pyridinyl]oxy]-benzoic acid
2aer: Crystal Structure of Benzamidine-Factor VIIa/Soluble Tissue Factor complex.
2b7d: Factor VIIa Inhibitors: Chemical Optimization, Preclinical Pharmacokinetics, Pharmacodynamics, and Efficacy in a Baboon Thrombosis Model
2b8o: Crystal Structure of Glu-Gly-Arg-Chloromethyl Ketone-Factor VIIa/Soluble Tissue Factor Complex
2c4f: CRYSTAL STRUCTURE OF FACTOR VII.STF COMPLEXED WITH PD0297121
2f9b: Discovery of Novel Heterocyclic Factor VIIa Inhibitors
2fir: Crystal structure of DFPR-VIIa/sTF
2flb: Discovery of a Novel Hydroxy Pyrazole Based Factor IXa Inhibitor
2flr: Novel 5-Azaindole Factor VIIa Inhibitors
2hft: THE CRYSTAL STRUCTURE OF THE EXTRACELLULAR DOMAIN OF HUMAN TISSUE FACTOR AT 1.7 ANGSTROMS RESOLUTION
2puq: Crystal structure of active site inhibited coagulation factor VIIA in complex with soluble tissue factor