Protein Z-related protease inhibitor
Encyclopedia
Protein Z-dependent protease inhibitor is a protein
Protein
Proteins are biochemical compounds consisting of one or more polypeptides typically folded into a globular or fibrous form, facilitating a biological function. A polypeptide is a single linear polymer chain of amino acids bonded together by peptide bonds between the carboxyl and amino groups of...

 circulating in the blood
Blood
Blood is a specialized bodily fluid in animals that delivers necessary substances such as nutrients and oxygen to the cells and transports metabolic waste products away from those same cells....

 which inhibits factors Xa and XI
Factor XI
Factor XI or plasma thromboplastin antecedent is the zymogen form of factor XIa, one of the enzymes of the coagulation cascade. Like many other coagulation factors, it is a serine protease. In humans, Factor XI is encoded by the F11 gene....

a of the coagulation cascade
Coagulation
Coagulation is a complex process by which blood forms clots. It is an important part of hemostasis, the cessation of blood loss from a damaged vessel, wherein a damaged blood vessel wall is covered by a platelet and fibrin-containing clot to stop bleeding and begin repair of the damaged vessel...

. It is a member of the class of the serine protease inhibitors (serpins). Its name implies that it requires protein Z
Protein Z
Protein Z also known as PROZ is a protein which in humans is encoded by the PROZ gene.Protein Z is a member of the coagulation cascade, the group of blood proteins that leads to the formation of blood clots. It is vitamin K-dependent, and its functionality is therefore impaired in warfarin therapy...

, another circulating protein, to function properly, but this only applies to its inhibition of factor X.

It is about 72 kDa
KDA
KDA may refer to:* Karachi Development Authority* Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace* Kotelawala Defence Academy* Kramer Design Associates* Lithium diisopropylamide, KDA is the potassium analogue of lithium diisopropylamideOr kDa may refer to:...

 heavy and 444 amino acid
Amino acid
Amino acids are molecules containing an amine group, a carboxylic acid group and a side-chain that varies between different amino acids. The key elements of an amino acid are carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, and nitrogen...

s large. It is produced by the liver
Liver
The liver is a vital organ present in vertebrates and some other animals. It has a wide range of functions, including detoxification, protein synthesis, and production of biochemicals necessary for digestion...

.

Role in disease

Water et al. found deficiency of ZPI in 4.4% of a cohort of patients with thrombophilia
Thrombophilia
Thrombophilia is an abnormality of blood coagulation that increases the risk of thrombosis . Such abnormalities can be identified in 50% of people who have an episode of thrombosis that was not provoked by other causes...

 (a tendency to thrombosis
Thrombosis
Thrombosis is the formation of a blood clot inside a blood vessel, obstructing the flow of blood through the circulatory system. When a blood vessel is injured, the body uses platelets and fibrin to form a blood clot to prevent blood loss...

).

History

Han et al. first described ZPI in 1998. The same group further characterised it in 2000.

External links

  • The MEROPS
    Merops
    Merops may refer to:* Merops , a genus of bee-eaters.* MEROPS, an on-line database for peptidases.It may also refer to several figures from Greek mythology:* King of Ethiopia, husband of Clymene, who lay with Helios and bore Phaethon...

    online database for peptidases and their inhibitors: I04.005
The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
x
OK