Binding phenomena of isolated unique plasmic degradation products of human cross-linked fibrin.

Proteolysis of human cross-linked fibrin by plasmin results in the formation of a DD . E complex, and Fragments DD and E as the major degradation products. Three species of Fragment E, which differ both in molecular weights (E1, Mr = 60,000; E2, Mr = 55,000; E3, Mr = 50,000) and in charge, have been isolated from a digest of cross-linked fibrin. Each Fragment E species reacts with monospecific anti-E antiserum. Fragments E1 and E2 bind with Fragment DD to form a DD . E complex but Fragment E3 is inactive. This binding is specific since these Fragments E do not bind to fibrinogen or to degradation products of fibrinogen or of noncross-linked fibrin. Fragments E1 and E2 incubated with plasmin are degraded to Fragment E3, suggesting that the three species represent sequential degradation products. Plasmin-treated Fragments E1 and E2 no longer bind with Fragment DD; therefore, it appears that the peptides cleaved from Fragment E2 by plasmin contain or modify the sites responsible for complex formation. On the other hand, Fragment DD binds not only to Fragments E1 and E2, but also to fibrinogen, Fragments X (Stage 1), X (Stage 2), Y, and NH2-terminal disulfide knot, but only after thrombin treatment, suggesting that Fragment DD binds to complementary sites on the NH2-terminal region of fibrinogen which are exposed after thrombin treatment.