Cell surface heparan sulfate proteoglycans participate in factor VIII catabolism mediated by low density lipoprotein receptor-related protein.

We have demonstrated previously that catabolism of a coagulation factor VIII (fVIII) from its complex with von Willebrand factor (vWf) is mediated by low density lipoprotein receptor-related protein (LRP) (Saenko, E. L., Yakhyaev, A. V., Mikhailenko, I., Strickland, D. K., and Sarafanov, A. G. (1999) J. Biol. Chem. 274, 37685-37692). In the present study, we found that this process is facilitated by cell surface heparan sulfate proteoglycans (HSPGs). This was demonstrated by simultaneous blocking of LRP and HSPGs in model cells, which completely prevented fVIII internalization and degradation from its complex with vWf. In contrast, the selective blocking of either receptor had a lesser effect. In vivo studies of clearance of (125)I-fVIII-vWf complex in mice also demonstrated that the simultaneous blocking of HSPGs and LRP led to a more significant prolongation of fVIII half-life (5.5-fold) than blocking of LRP alone (3.5-fold). The cell culture and in vivo experiments revealed that HSPGs are also involved in another, LRP-independent pathway of fVIII catabolism. In both pathways, HSPGs act as receptors providing the initial binding of fVIII-vWf complex to cells. We demonstrated that this binding occurs via the A2 domain of fVIII, since A2, but not other portions of fVIII or isolated vWf, strongly inhibited cell surface binding of fVIII-vWf complex, and the affinities of A2 and fVIII-vWf complex for the cells were similar. The A2 site involved in binding to heparin was localized to the region 558-565, based on the ability of the corresponding synthetic peptide to inhibit A2 binding to heparin, used as a model for HSPGs.