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cofactor
(redirected from ristocetin cofactor)

   Also found in: Dictionary/thesaurus, Medical, Wikipedia 0.01 sec.

cofactor

An atom, organic molecule, or molecular group that is necessary for the catalytic activity (see catalysis) of many enzymes. A cofactor may be tightly bound to the protein portion of an enzyme and thus be an integral part of its functional structure, or it may be only loosely associated and free to diffuse away from the enzyme. Cofactors of the integral kind include metal atoms—such as iron, copper, or magnesium—or moderately sized organic molecules called prosthetic groups; many of the latter contain a metal atom, often in a coordination complex (see transition element). Removal of the cofactor from the enzyme's structure causes loss of its catalytic activity. Loosely associated cofactors are called coenzymes; examples include most members of the vitamin B complex. Rather than directly contributing to the catalytic ability of an enzyme, coenzymes participate with the enzyme in the catalytic reaction. Sometimes this distinction in definition is no longer made, and coenzyme is used in the broader sense of cofactor.


cofactor [′kō‚fak·tər]
(biochemistry)
A specific substance required for the activity of an enzyme, such as a coenzyme or metal ion.
(mathematics)


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11) Test for von Willebrand disease For more than two decades, the ristocetin cofactor (RCo) assay, which measures the vWF-mediated agglutination of platelets in the presence of the antibiotic ristocetin, has been the most common method for measuring the functional activity of vWF.
The company also developed the first automated ristocetin cofactor activity test that detects Von Willebrand disease, which is the most common inherited bleeding disorder.
These variants are differentiated on the basis of a panel of lab tests that include the bleeding time, platelet count, partial thromboplastin time, yon Willebrand factor (vWF) activity and antigen, factor VIII levels, ristocetin cofactor, and vWF multimeric composition.
 
 
 
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