Models of the serine protease domain of the human antithrombotic plasma factor activated protein C and its zymogen

Three‐dimensional structural analysis of physiologically important serine proteases is useful in identifying functional features relevant to the expression of their activities and specificities. The human serine protease anticoagulant protein C is currently the object of many genetic site‐directed mutagenesis studies. Analyzing relationships between its structure and function and between naturally occurring mutations and their corresponding clinical phenotypes would be greatly assisted by a 3‐dimensional structure of the enzyme. To this end, molecular models of the protease domain of protein C have been produced using computational techniques based on known crystal structures of homologous enzymes and on protein C functional information. The resultant models corresponding to different stages along the processing pathway of protein C were analyzed for structural and electrostatic differences arising during the process of protein C maturation and activation. The most satisfactory models included a calcium ion bound to residues homologous to those that ligate calcium in the trypsin structure. Inspection of the surface features of the models allowed identification of residues putatively involved in specific functional interactions. In particular, analysis of the electrostatic potential surface of the model delineated a positively charged region likely to represent a novel substrate recognition exosite. To assist with future mutational studies, binding of an octapeptide representing a protein C cleavage site of its substrate factor Va to the enzyme's active site region was modeled and analyzed.