Kunitz protease inhibitor (KPI) domain 3 (KPI-3 or K3) of tissue factor pathway inhibitor (TFPI) and TFPI2, and similar proteins
This model represents the third Kunitz-type domain (K3 or KPI-3) of tissue factor pathway inhibitor (TFPI or TFPI1), also known as extrinsic pathway inhibitor (EPI) or lipoprotein-associated coagulation inhibitor (LACI), and of TFPI2 (or TFPI-2). TFPI1 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-TFPI1 complex that then slowly isomerizes to a tight FXa-TFPI1* 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-TFPI1-TF-FVIIa complex in which the activity of FXa and FVIIa are inhibited. TFPI1 consists of 3 Kunitz-type protease inhibitor (KPI) domains in a tandem arrangement; while the K1 domain of TFPI has been shown to bind and inhibit FVIIa and the K2 domain similarly inhibits FXa, the K3 domain has no known inhibitory function. However, Protein S, which functions as a cofactor for TFPI to efficiently enhance TFPI inhibition of FXa and FXa activated TF-VIIa, is dependent on direct interactions with two important residues within K3, a Glutamate and an Arginine. This model also includes TFPI2 Kunitz domain 3 (KD3). TFPI2 exhibits inhibitory activity primarily toward trypsin, plasmin, and factor VIIa (FVIIa)/tissue factor (TF) via its KD1. It is believed to be the major inhibitor of plasmin in the extracellular matrix (ECM) but has little inhibitory activity toward urokinase-type plasminogen activator, tissue-type plasminogen activator, or thrombin. While TFPI2 specifically inhibits the proteases via the P1 arginine residue in KD1, domains KD2 and KD3 appear to have no discernible inhibitory activity and may serve to bind to nearby proteins to localize TFPI2 in the ECM. The structure of this domain is similar to that of 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.
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