Identification and purification to near homogeneity of the vitamin K-dependent carboxylase

Abstract

Vitamin K-dependent carboxylase catalyzes the modification of specific glutamic acids to γ-carboxyglutamic acid in several blood-coagulation proteins. This modification is required for the blood-clotting activity of these proteins and has thus been the subject of intense investigation. We have now identified the bovine vitamin K-dependent carboxylase and purified it to near homogeneity by an affinity procedure that uses the 59-amino acid peptide FIXQ/S (residues -18 to 41 of factor IX with mutations Arg → Gln at residue -4 and Arg → Ser at residue -1). The carboxylase as purified has a molecular weight of 94,000. It is also the major protein that can be cross-linked to iodinated FIXQ/S and is the only protein whose cross-linking is prevented by a synthetic factor IX propeptide. The degree of purification is about 7000-fold with reference to ammonium sulfate-fractionated microsomal protein from liver.