Vitamin K-dependent clotting factors (None)

Vitamin K-dependent clotting factors are a group of plasma proteins whose biological activity relies on a unique vitamin K-dependent post-translational γ-carboxylation of specific glutamate residues, enabling them to bind calcium ions—a requirement for proper coagulation cascade function. This group includes procoagulant factors II (prothrombin), VII, IX, and X, as well as anticoagulant proteins C, S, and Z. Deficiency or inhibition of vitamin K leads to production of non-functional, non-activated forms of these clotting factors, resulting in bleeding disorders, while pharmacologic inhibition is the basis for oral anticoagulant therapy. They are synthesized primarily in the liver, and their deficiency or dysfunction can have significant clinical implications.

Other names

Vitamin K-dependent coagulation factorVKD clotting factorProthrombin (Factor II)Coagulation factor VIICoagulation factor IXCoagulation factor XProtein CProtein SProtein Z

Inhibition of vitamin K epoxide reductase (VKOR) by antagonists, preventing proper γ-carboxylation of glutamic acid residues, resulting in non-functional clotting factors