Human factor VII deficiency caused by S339C mutation located adjacent to the specificity pocket of the catalytic domain

This report documents our identification of a novel factor VII (FVII) gene mutation in a Japanese boy with FVII deficiency. The proband's FVII activity was 34% and his FVII antigen level was 40% of normal controls. DNA sequence analysis of the proband's FVII gene identified a C to G point mutation at nucleotide position 10 933 in exon 8, which results in the substitution of Cys (TGC) for Ser339 (TCC). Hinf I digestion results indicate the proband and his mother were heterozygous for the mutation. Both wild-type and mutant FVIIs were transiently expressed in COS-1 cells. FVII levels measured in the culture medium of FVII Ser339Cys mutants were markedly reduced as compared to those of cells with FVII wild-type. The amount of intracellular FVII in FVII Ser339Cys mutants was 80% of that in wild-type. In the wild-type FVII, Ser339 is juxtaposed to Asp338, which is positioned at the bottom of the substrate-binding pocket in the protease domain and located adjacent to FVII Cys340, that forms a disulphide bond with Cys368. We suspect that the creation of a novel unpaired cysteine through this mutation leads to abnormal disulphide bonding during protein folding, thereby reducing the secretion of FVII.