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(Circulation Research. 2008;102:389.)
© 2008 American Heart Association, Inc.

Editorials

Annexin 2/Factor Xa–Mediated Signal Transduction

Salvatore V. Pizzo

From the Department of Pathology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC.

Correspondence to Salvatore V. Pizzo, Duke University Medical Center, Chair, Department of Pathology, M301 Davison Bldg, Box 3712, Durham, NC 27710-0001. E-mail pizzo001@mc.duke.edu

See related article, pages 457–464

Key Words: annexin 2 • factor Xa • protease-activated receptor 1 • fibrinolysis

An extract of the first 250 words of the full text is provided, because this article has no abstract.

In this issue of Circulation Research, Bhattacharjee et al¹ provide evidence that annexin 2 may be important in the ability of factor Xa to induce signal transduction dependent on protease-activated receptor (PAR)-1. The significance of these observations must be considered in the context of broader questions related to thrombosis and fibrinolysis. In the first decade of the 20th century, knowledge of blood coagulation resulted in a relatively simple model. In 1905, Morowitz proposed that the coagulation cascade consists of 4 fluid phase components of blood.² The 4 components involved in coagulation were identified as fibrinogen, Ca²⁺, prothrombin, and "tissue thromboplastin." He also recognized that platelets and perhaps leukocytes played a role in blood clotting.² Tissue thromboplastin was identified as a lipid- and protein-containing component of tissues that was released during vascular injury. In the presence of Ca²⁺, this substance activated prothrombin. The resultant thrombin converted fibrinogen to fibrin. The discovery of "factor V" in 1943 expanded the model of coagulation beyond these 4 components and triggered a search for other coagulation factors. During the 20th century, many more such factors were discovered. Most of these received factor numbers, whereas some were known more commonly by name. The concept arose that there were 2 pathways of coagulation, namely, the intrinsic and extrinsic systems. It was believed that the intrinsic pathway was most important at the surface of damaged blood vessels, whereas the extrinsic system became activated after major vascular injury causing the release of tissue thromboplastin or, as . . . [Full Text of this Article]

Related Article:

Factor Xa Binding to Annexin 2 Mediates Signal Transduction via Protease-Activated Receptor 1

Gourab Bhattacharjee, Jasimuddin Ahamed, Rafal Pawlinski, Cheng Liu, Nigel Mackman, Wolfram Ruf, and Thomas S. Edgington
Circ. Res. 2008 102: 457-464. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]