Composition exhibiting a von Willebrand Factor (vWF) protease activity comprising a polypeptide chain with the amino acid sequence AAGGILHLELLV
The invention relates to vWF cleaving entities having a molecular weight of 180 kD, 170 kD, 160 kD, 120 kD or 110 kD and an N-terminal amino acid sequence of AAGGILHLELLV, vWF cleaving complexes and methods for their production.
1. A method for detection of vWF protease polypeptide in a sample comprising plasma, comprising the steps of:
(a) contacting the sample with a monoclonal antibody that binds to a polypeptide exhibiting vWF protease activity that comprises at least one single isolated peptide chain that is present in human plasma and has a molecular weight from about 180 kD to about 120 kD as determined by SDS-PAGE under reducing conditions and comprises the amino acid sequence AAGGILHLELLV (SEQ ID NO: 1); and
(b) detecting the complex, thereby detecting vWF protease polypeptide.
2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the polypeptide to which the antibody binds comprises the amino acid sequence:
AAGGILHLELLVAVGPDVFQAHQEDTERYVLTNLNIGAELLRDPSLGAQFRVHLVKMVILTEPEG APNITANLTSSLLSVCGWSQTINPEDDTDPGHADLVLYITRFDLELPDGNRQVRGVTQLGGACS PTWSCLITEDTGFDLGVTI (SEQ ID NO:4).
3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the antibody binds to the amino acid sequence AAGGILHLELLV.
4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the polypeptide to which the antibody binds has a molecular weight of about 170 kD.
5. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the polypeptide to which the antibody binds has a molecular weight of about 160 kD.
6. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the polypeptide to which the antibody binds has a molecular weight of about 120 kD.