Von Willebrand factor A1 domain affinity for GPIbα and stability are differentially regulated by its O-glycosylated N-linker and C-linker

Hemostasis in the arterial circulation is mediated by binding of the A1 domain of the ultralong protein von Willebrand factor to GPIbα on platelets to form a platelet plug. A1 is activated by tensile force on VWF concatemers imparted by hydrodynamic drag force. The A1 core is protected from force-induced unfolding by a long-range disulfide that links cysteines near its N and C-termini. The O-glycosylated linkers between A1 and its neighboring domains, which transmit tensile force to A1, are reported to regulate A1 activation for binding to GPIb, but the mechanism is controversial and incompletely defined. Here, we study how these linkers, and their polypeptide and O-glycan moieties, regulate A1 affinity by measuring affinity, kinetics, thermodynamics, hydrogen deuterium exchange (HDX), and unfolding by temperature and urea. The N-linker lowers A1 affinity 40-fold with a stronger contribution from its O-glycan than polypeptide moiety. The N-linker also decreases HDX in specific regions of A1 and increases thermal stability and the energy gap between its native state and an intermediate state, which is observed in urea-induced unfolding. The C-linker also decreases affinity of A1 for GPIbα, but in contrast to the N-linker, has no significant effect on HDX or A1 stability. Among different models for A1 activation, our data are consistent with the model that the intermediate state has high affinity for GPIbα, which is induced by tensile force physiologically and regulated allosterically by the N-linker. Impact Statement Both the polypeptide and attached O-glycans N-terminal to the A1 domain in von Willebrand factor lower its affinity for its ligand GPIbα on platelets, its stability, and structural dynamics and decrease population of a high-affinity, intermediate state in unfolding. Key points Ligand-binding affinity of A1 and the stability of its native state is regulated by an N-terminal interdomain, O-glycosylated linker