Removing disordered regions of shape-shifting protein explains how blood clots
Tuesday, July 15, 2014 - 22:31
in Health & Medicine
Researchers used x-ray crystallography to publish the first image of prothrombin. The protein’s flexible structure is key to the development of blood-clotting. Blood-clotting has long ensured our survival, stopping blood loss after an injury. However, when triggered in the wrong circumstances, clotting can lead to debilitating or fatal conditions such as a heart attack, stroke or deep vein thrombosis.