Doolittle R F, Everse S J, Spraggon G
Center for Molecular Genetics, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla 92093-0634, USA.
FASEB J. 1996 Nov;10(13):1464-70. doi: 10.1096/fasebj.10.13.8940292.
The principal component of blood clots is a protein meshwork called fibrin. The precursor protein, fibrinogen, occurs in a soluble form in the blood plasma where it is activated by thrombin when and if the need arises. More than a century after first being purified, fibrinogen has yet to have its detailed 3-dimensional structure revealed. The situation is changing rapidly, however, and crystallographic studies in progress in several laboratories on a variety of fragments and complexes may soon reveal not only its structure but also the subtleties of how this large glycoprotein is transformed into a fibrin clot.
