title: Structure and function of von Willebrand factor.
abstract: von Willebrand factor (VWF) is a long plasma protein that contains many domains and each domain has its own function. VWF exists in a multimeric form and performs varieties of functions in the human body, including thrombus formation and blood coagulation. The crystal structures of three subdomains are known, and, interestingly, all three domains share identical three-dimensional fold with α-β-α sandwiched model. VWF is directly associated with different types of von Willebrand disease. In this review, our aim is to gather recent developments on structure and functions of VWF and its clinical relevance.
authors.affiliation: Centre for Interdisciplinary Research in Basic Sciences, Jamia Millia Islamia, Jamia Nagar, New Delhi 110025, India. mihassan@jmi.ac.in
authors.forename: Md Imtaiyaz
authors.initials: MI
authors.lastname: Hassan
authors.forename: Aditya
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Saxena
authors.forename: Faizan
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Ahmad
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D006801:Humans; D008958:Models, Molecular; D010973:Platelet Adhesiveness; D011487:Protein Conformation; D054730:Protein Interaction Domains and Motifs; D013329:Structure-Activity Relationship; D014842:von Willebrand Diseases / Q000378:metabolism; D014841:von Willebrand Factor / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D014841:von Willebrand Factor