Carboxyl-terminus of ADAMTS13 directly inhibits platelet aggregation and ultra large VWF string formation under flow in a free thiol-dependent manner

Objective ADAMTS13 cleaves von Willebrand factor (VWF), thereby inhibiting thrombus formation. Proteolytic cleavage relies on the amino-terminal (MDTCS) domains, but the role of the more distal carboxyl-terminal domains of ADAMTS13 is not fully understood. A previous study demonstrated the presence of multiple surface- exposed free sulfhydryls on ADAMTS13 that appeared to interact with those on VWF under shear. Here, we determined the physiological relevance of such an interaction in antithrombotic responses under flow.