Summary
Tissue factor, a 47 kDa membrane glycoprotein, lies at the basis of the extrinsic
pathway of the coagulation cascade. Interaction of TF with factor VIIa results in
the formation of fibrin from fibrinogen, thereby inducing the formation of a blood
clot. In addition to this well-established role in blood coagulation, TF is associated
with various other physiological processes such as sepsis, inflammation, angiogenesis,
metastasis and atherosclerosis. The molecular basis of the latter events is slowly
emerging. It has become clear that TF-FVIIa interaction elicits a variety of intracellular
signalling events that may be implicated in these actions. These events include the
sequential activation of Src-like kinases, MAP kinases, small GTPases and calcium
signalling. How this progress in the understanding of TF associated signal transduction
may generate answers as to the mechanism through which TF exerts it pleiotropic effects
will be focus of this review.
Keywords
Coagulation - inflammation - angiogenesis - tumourigenesis - atherosclerosis