Poly-L-lysine has been demonstrated to partially replace biological cofactors in the activation of prothrombin by factor Xa. The present study was initiated to determine if poly-L-lysine has an effect on the enzymatic activity of factor Xa in the absence of prothrombin. At low ionic strength (50 mM Tris-Cl, pH 8.0, ambient temperature), poly-L-lysine inhibits amidase activity (S-2222) of bovine factor Xa with high affinity (Ki = 7 nM). The inhibition was readily reversed by 100 mM NaCl. The inhibition was also markedly reduced by the addition of 1.0 mM CaCl2 but not by MnCl2 or MgCl2. All three metal ions enhance amidase activity in the absence of poly-L-lysine. Poly-L-lysine also inhibits the amidase activity of factor Xa from which the gamma-carboxyglutamic acid domain has been removed by limited proteolysis with chymotrypsin (factor Xa-GD) but with somewhat lower avidity (Ki = 35 nM). As with native factor Xa, calcium ions reduce the observed inhibition while either manganese or magnesium ions are much less effective. The amidase activity of factor Xa-GD is enhanced with any one of the three divalent cations. These results provide additional support for the existence of a functionally significant binding site for calcium ions outside of the gamma-carboxyglutamic domain of factor Xa.