Thrombin (,
fibrinogenase,
thrombase,
thrombofort,
topical,
thrombin-C,
tropostasin,
activated blood-coagulation factor II,
blood-coagulation factor IIa,
factor IIa,
E thrombin,
beta-thrombin,
gamma-thrombin) is a
serine protease that in humans is encoded by the
F2 gene.
Prothrombin (coagulation factor II) is
proteolytically cleaved to form thrombin in the
coagulation cascade, which ultimately results in the reduction of blood loss. Thrombin in turn acts as a serine protease that converts soluble
fibrinogen into insoluble strands of
fibrin, as well as catalyzing many other coagulation-related reactions.
