Structure and expression of human thrombomodulin, a thrombin receptor on endothelium acting as a cofactor for protein C activation

Abstract

We have deduced the entire 575-amino acid sequence of the human thrombomodulin precursor from cDNA clones. The precursor starts with an 18-residue signal peptide domain, followed by the NH2-terminal domain, a domain with six epidermal growth factor-like structures, an O-glycosylation site-rich domain, a 24-residue transmembrane domain and a cytoplasmic domain. Simian COS cells transfected with the expression vector pSV2 containing thrombomodulin cDNA synthesized immunoreactive and functionally active thrombomodulin.