Description
Fibrinogen, also called Factor I, is the principal protein of vertebrate blood clotting forming a hexamer containing two sets of three different chains (alpha, beta, and gamma), linked to each other by disulfide bonds. The N-terminal sections of these three chains contain the Cysteines that participate in the cross-linking of the chains. The C-terminal parts of the alpha, beta and gamma chains contain a domain of about 225 amino acid residues, which can function as a molecular recognition unit, engage in protein-protein interactions, and bind carbohydrates. On the fibrinogen alpha and beta chains, there is a small peptide sequence (called a fibrinopeptide) that prevents fibrinogen from spontaneously forming polymers with itself. Fibrinogen is the precursor of Fibrin. Fibrin, also called Factor Ia, is a fibrous protein involved in the clotting of blood, and is non globular