Factor IX (or Christmas factor) is one of the serine proteases (EC3.4.21.22) of the coagulation system; it belongs to peptidase family S1. Deficiency of this protein causes hemophilia B. It was discovered after a young boy named Stephen Christmas was found to be lacking this exact factor, leading to hemophilia, in 1952.1
Deficiency of factor IX causes Christmas disease (hemophilia B). Over 100 mutations of factor IX have been described; some cause no symptoms, but many lead to a significant bleeding disorder.
References
^ Biggs RA, Douglas AS, MacFarlane RG, Dacie JV, Pittney WR, Merskey C, O'Brien JR. Christmas disease: a condition previously mistaken for haemophilia.Br Med J 1952;2:1378-1382. PMID 12997790.
^ Kurachi K, Davie E (1982). "Isolation and characterization of a cDNA coding for human factor IX". Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A79 (21): 6461–4. doi:10.1073/pnas.79.21.6461. PMID 6959130.
^ Nicholl D. (2002). An Introduction to Genetic Engineering Second Edition. Cambridge University Press, 257.
Sommer SS (1992). "Assessing the underlying pattern of human germline mutations: lessons from the factor IX gene". FASEB J.6 (10): 2767–74. PMID 1634040.
Lenting PJ, van Mourik JA, Mertens K (1999). "The life cycle of coagulation factor VIII in view of its structure and function". Blood92 (11): 3983–96. PMID 9834200.