Sphingosine-containing phospholipid vesicles support human factor VII autoactivation in the absence of tissue factor.

We studied the effects of lipid membrane composition on factor VII autoactivation and observed that factor VII was activated in the presence of phospholipid vesicles containing sphingosine. The time course for the factor VII activation was sigmoidal and the duration of the initial lag phase was decreased by the addition of exogenous factor VIIA. Kinetic studies revealed that factor VII activation in the presence of sphingosine-containing phospholipids can be defined by a second-order reaction mechanism with an apparent second-order rate constant of 1.1x10(4) M(-1)s(-1). The sphingosine-mediated factor VII autoactivation rate was dependent on the concentration of calcium ions and sphingosine content of the vesicles. Neither bovine serum albumin-conjugated sphingosine nor sphingosine analogues (ceramide, sphingomyelin) affected the factor VII autoactivation rate.