VWA subgroup: Von Willebrand factor type A (vWA) domain was originally found in the blood coagulation protein von Willebrand factor (vWF). Typically, the vWA domain is made up of approximately 200 amino acid residues folded into a classic a/b para-rossmann type of fold. The vWA domain, since its discovery, has drawn great interest because of its widespread occurrence and its involvement in a wide variety of important cellular functions. These include basal membrane formation, cell migration, cell differentiation, adhesion, haemostasis, signaling, chromosomal stability, malignant transformation and in immune defenses In integrins these domains form heterodimers while in vWF it forms multimers. There are different interaction surfaces of this domain as seen by the various molecules it complexes with. Ligand binding in most cases is mediated by the presence of a metal ion dependent adhesion site termed as the MIDAS motif that is a characteristic feature of most, if not all A domains. Not much is known about the function of the VWA domain in these proteins. The members do have a conserved MIDAS motif. The biochemical function however is not known.
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