Purified by affinity chromotography. Factor XI (FXI, plasma thromboplastin antecedent) is a coagulation protein produced in the liver that circulates in plasma at approximately 5 μg/ml (30 nM). The mass of FXI is 160 kDa as determined by SDS-PAGE under non-reducing conditions and 80 kDa upon reduction. FXI consists of two identical 80 kDa subunits linked by disulphide bonds. Each subunit consists of a tandem repeat of four apple domains followed by a serine protease catalytic domain. Cleavage of FXI by activated factor XII or thrombin converts each subunit into a two-chain form and generates two active sites per FXIa molecule. The mass of FXIa is 160 kDa unreduced, but upon reduction FXIa migrates as a heavy chain of 50 kDa and a light chain of 30 kDa. The catalytic site of FXIa resides in the light chain. In plasma, FXI or FXIa circulates in non-covalent 1:1 complex with high molecular weight kininogen, which acts as a cofactor in the activation of FXI by activated factor XII. T