Zinc2+ Promotes Heparin Binding to Fibrin and Subsequent Formation of Ternary Heparin-Thrombin-Fibrin Complexes.

Abstract Binding of heparin to fibrinogen and fibrin can compromise its anticoagulant function in two ways. First, binding to fibrinogen renders less heparin available to interact with antithrombin. Second, fibrin-bound heparin can sequester thrombin and protect it from inhibition by antithrombin. Protection results from the formation of a ternary heparin-thrombin-fibrin complex mediated by binary heparin-thrombin, …