Kunitz protease inhibitor (KPI) domain 1 (KPI-1 or K1) of tissue factor pathway inhibitor (TFPI)
This model represents the first Kunitz-type domain (K1 or KPI-1) of tissue factor pathway inhibitor (TFPI or TFPI1), also known as extrinsic pathway inhibitor (EPI) or lipoprotein-associated coagulation inhibitor (LACI). TFPI down-regulates the extrinsic coagulation pathway via inhibition of activated factor X (FXa or Xa) and FVIIa (VIIa). It inhibits activated FXa via a "slow-tight binding mechanism", i.e. rapid formation of a loose FXa-TFPI complex that then slowly isomerizes to a tight FXa-TFPI* complex. Subsequent inhibition of FVIIa is facilitated by the presence of tissue factor (TF) and FXa, which together rapidly and efficiently form a quaternary FXa-TFPI-TF-FVIIa complex in which the activity of FXa and FVIIa are inhibited. TFPI consists of 3 Kunitz-type protease inhibitor (KPI) domains in a tandem arrangement; The K1 domain of TFPI has been shown to bind and inhibit FVIIa while the K2 domain similarly inhibits FXa. Small peptide blocking inhibition of FXa and TF-FVIIa by TFPI shows that domain K1 is not only important for FVIIa inhibition but also for FXa inhibition, i.e. for the transition of the loose to the tight FXa-TFPI complex. The structure of the K1 domain is similar to those of other Kunitz-type proteinase inhibitors such as BPTI (bovine pancreatic trypsin inhibitor), showing an alpha/beta fold with irregular secondary structure stabilized by three disulfide bonds.