Lys-plasminogen is a significant intermediate in the activation of Glu-plasminogen during fibrinolysis in vitro.

Plasminogen, the zymogen form of the fibrinolytic enzyme plasmin, is known to undergo plasmin-mediated modification in vitro. The modified form, Lys-plasminogen, is superior to the native Glu-plasminogen in fibrin binding and as a substrate for activation by tissue-type plasminogen activator (t-PA). The present study was undertaken to determine the existence and significance of the Glu- to Lys-plasminogen conversion during t-PA-mediated lysis of plasma clots in vitro. When human plasma was supplemented with exogenous Lys-plasminogen and clotted, a dose-dependent shortening of lysis time was observed. Formation of Lys-plasminogen in situ during fibrinolysis was determined using 131I-Glu-plasminogen-supplemented plasma. By the time of lysis, Lys-plasminogen had accumulated to about 20% of the initial concentration of Glu-plasminogen. Quantitation of activation of both Glu- and Lys-plasminogen as well as the conversion of Glu- to Lys-plasminogen in plasma supplemented with both 131I-Glu-plasminogen and 125I-Lys-plasminogen was accomplished by determining the flux of the isotopically labeled species along three pathways: Glu-plasminogen-->Glu-plasmin, Glu-plasminogen-->Lys-plasminogen, and Lys-plasminogen-->Lys-plasmin. After a brief lag, the Glu-plasminogen activation rate was constant until lysis was achieved, at which point activation ceased. The Lys-plasminogen activation rate also was essentially constant until lysis but was not characterized by a lag phase. The rate of conversion of Glu- to Lys-plasminogen was nonlinear and correlated directly with the rate of fibrinolysis. By the time lysis had occurred, Glu-plasminogen consumption had been distributed equally between direct activation to plasmin and conversion to Lys-plasminogen, and 45% of the plasmin which had been formed was derived from Lys-plasminogen. These results demonstrate both the formation and the subsequent activation of Lys-plasminogen during fibrinolysis. As a result of improved fibrin binding and activation of Lys-plasminogen compared to Glu-plasminogen, the formation of Lys-plasminogen within a clot constitutes a positive feedback mechanism that can further stimulate the activation of plasminogen by t-PA as fibrinolysis progresses.     

Secondary-site binding of Glu-plasmin, Lys-plasmin and miniplasmin to fibrin

Active-site-inhibited plasmin was prepared by inhibition with d-valyl-l-phenylalanyl-l-lysylchloromethane or by bovine pancreatic trypsin inhibitor (Kunitz inhibitor). Active-site-inhibited Glu-plasmin binds far more strongly to fibrin than Glu-plasminogen [native human plasminogen with N-terminal glutamic acid (residues 1–790)]. This binding is decreased by α₂-plasmin inhibitor and tranexamic acid, and is, in the latter case, related to saturation of a strong lysine-binding site. In contrast, α₂-plasmin inhibitor and tranexamic acid have only weak effects on the binding of Glu-plasminogen to fibrin. This demonstrates that its strong lysine-binding site is of minor importance to its binding to fibrin. Active-site-inhibited Lys-plasmin and Lys-plasminogen (Glu-plasminogen lacking the N-terminal residues Glu¹–Lys⁷⁶, Glu¹–Arg⁶⁷ or Glu¹–Lys⁷⁷)display binding to fibrin similar to that of active-site inhibited Glu-plasmin. In addition, α₂-plasmin inhibitor or tranexamic acid similarly decrease their binding to fibrin. Glu-plasminogen and active-site-inhibited Glu-plasmin have the same gross conformation, and conversion into their respective Lys- forms produces a similar marked change in conformation [Violand, Sodetz & Castellino (1975) Arch. Biochem. Biophys. 170, 300–305]. Our results indicate that this change is not essential to the degree of binding to fibrin or to the effect of α₂-plasmin inhibitor and tranexamic acid on this binding. The conversion of miniplasminogen (Glu-plasminogen lacking the N-terminal residues Glu¹–Val⁴⁴¹) into active-site-inhibited miniplasmin makes no difference to the degree of binding to fibrin, which is similarly decreased by the addition of tranexamic acid and unaffected by α₂-plasmin inhibitor. Active-site-inhibited Glu-plasmin, Lys-plasmin and miniplasmin have lower fibrin-binding values in a plasma system than in a purified system. Results with miniplasmin(ogen) indicate that plasma proteins other than α₂-plasmin inhibitor and histidine-rich glycoprotein decrease the binding of plasmin(ogen) to fibrin.     

Quantitative characterization of the binding of plasminogen to intact fibrin clots, lysine-sepharose, and fibrin cleaved by plasmin

The binding of human Glu- and Lys-plasminogens to intact fibrin clots, to lysine-Sepharose, and to fibrin cleaved by plasmin was quantitatively characterized. On intact fibrin clots, there was one strong binding site for Glu-plasminogen with a dissociation constant, Kd, of 25 microM and one strong binding site for Lys-plasminogen with a Kd of 7.9 microM. In both cases, the number of plasminogen binding sites per fibrin monomer was 1. Also, a much weaker binding site for Glu-plasminogen was observed with a Kd of about 350 microM. Limited digestion of fibrin by plasmin created additional binding sites for plasminogen with Kd values similar to the binding of plasminogen to lysine-Sepharose. This was predictable given the observations that plasminogen binds to lysine-Sepharose and can be eluted with epsilon-aminocaproic acid [Deutsch, D.G., & Mertz, E.T. (1970) Science (Washington, D.C.) 170, 1095-1096] and that plasmin preferentially cleaves fibrin at the carboxy side of lysyl residues [Weinstein, M.J., & Doolittle, R.F. (1972) Biochim. Biophys. Acta 258, 577-590], because the structures of the lysyl moiety in lysine-Sepharose and of epsilon-aminocaproic acid are identical with the structure of a COOH-terminal lysyl residue created by plasmin cleavage of fibrin. The Kd for the binding of Glu-plasminogen to lysine-Sepharose was 43 microM and for fibrin partially cleaved by plasmin 48 microM. The Kd for the binding of Lys-plasminogen to lysine-Sepharose was 30 microM. With fibrin partially cleaved by plasmin, there were two types of binding sites for Lys-plasminogen, one with a Kd of 7.6 microM and the other with a Kd of 44 microM.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

A monoclonal antibody specific for Lys-plasminogen. Application to the study of the activation pathways of plasminogen in vivo

Human plasminogen, a glycoprotein with NH2-terminal Glu, is rapidly converted by traces of plasmin to proteolytic derivatives with NH2-terminal Met 68, Lys 77, or Val 78 ("Lys-plasminogen"), which are much more readily activated to plasmin than is Glu-plasminogen. It has, therefore, been proposed that physiological activation of Glu-plasminogen occurs mainly via Lys-plasminogen intermediates (Wiman, B., and Wallén, P. (1973) Eur. J. Biochem. 36, 25-31). In the present study we have characterized a murine monoclonal antibody (LPm1) directed against an epitope exposed in Lys-plasminogen but not in Glu-plasminogen. The antibody was secreted by a hybridoma obtained by fusion of mouse myeloma cells (P3X63-Ag8-6.5.3) with spleen cells of a mouse immunized with purified Lys-plasmin-alpha 2-antiplasmin complex. Coupling of the alpha-amino groups of Lys-plasminogen with phenylisothiocyanate resulted in complete loss of immunoreactivity for LPm1, which was, however, fully restored by cleavage of the derivatized NH2-terminal amino acid. After a second cycle, immunoreactivity was not restored, indicating that the LPm1 antibody-binding site depends on the presence of Lys 77 and/or Val 78 as NH2-terminal amino acids. The immunoreactivity of Lys-plasminogen with LPm1 is abolished by reduction of the protein, suggesting that conversion of Glu-plasminogen to Lys-plasminogen is associated with a conformational alteration exposing the epitope for the LPm1 monoclonal antibody. In order to investigate the pathways of plasminogen activation in vivo, total plasmin-alpha 2-antiplasmin and Lys-plasmin-alpha 2-antiplasmin complexes were measured with sandwich-type micro enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays. Therefore, microtiter plates were coated with monoclonal antibodies against alpha 2-antiplasmin, and bound antigen was quantitated with horseradish peroxidase-conjugated LPm1 or a monoclonal antibody reacting equally well with Glu-plasmin as with Lys-plasmin. In 25 healthy subjects the plasmin-alpha 2-antiplasmin levels in plasma were undetectable (less than 0.1 nM). Infusion of tissue-type plasminogen activator in patients with thromboembolic disease resulted in generation of high concentrations of Glu-plasmin-alpha 2-antiplasmin complex (620 +/- 150 nM, n = 7) whereas neither Lys-plasmin-alpha 2-antiplasmin complex nor Lys-plasminogen were consistently detected. It is, therefore, concluded that activation of the fibrinolytic system in vivo occurs by direct cleavage of the Arg 560-Val 561 bond in Glu-plasminogen and not via formation of the Lys-plasminogen intermediates.     

Topography of the high-affinity lysine binding site of plasminogen as defined with a specific antibody probe

An antibody population that reacted with the high-affinity lysine binding site of human plasminogen was elicited by immunizing rabbits with an elastase degradation product containing kringles 1-3 (EDP I). This antibody was immunopurified by affinity chromatography on plasminogen-Sepharose and elution with 0.2 M 6-aminohexanoic acid. The eluted antibodies bound [125I]EDP I, [125I]Glu-plasminogen, and [125I]Lys-plasminogen in radioimmunoassays, and binding of each ligand was at least 99% inhibited by 0.2 M 6-aminohexanoic acid. The concentrations for 50% inhibition of [125I]EDP I binding by tranexamic acid, 6-aminohexanoic acid, and lysine were 2.6, 46, and 1730 microM, respectively. Similar values were obtained with plasminogen and suggested that an unoccupied high-affinity lysine binding site was required for antibody recognition. The antiserum reacted exclusively with plasminogen derivatives containing the EDP I region (EDP I, Glu-plasminogen, Lys-plasminogen, and the plasmin heavy chain) and did not react with those lacking an EDP I region [miniplasminogen, the plasmin light chain or EDP II (kringle 4)] or with tissue plasminogen activator or prothrombin, which also contain kringles. By immunoblotting analyses, a chymotryptic degradation product of Mr 20,000 was derived from EDP I that retained reactivity with the antibody. The high-affinity lysine binding site was equally available to the antibody probe in Glu- and Lys-plasminogen and also appeared to be unoccupied in the plasmin-alpha 2-antiplasmin complex. alpha 2-Antiplasmin inhibited the binding of radiolabeled EDP I, Glu-plasminogen, or Lys-plasminogen by the antiserum, suggesting that the recognized site is involved in the noncovalent interaction of the inhibitor with plasminogen.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Tissue plasminogen activator and urokinase mediate the binding of Glu-plasminogen to plasma fibrin I. Evidence for new binding sites in plasmin-degraded fibrin I

The effect of tissue plasminogen activator (TPA) or urokinase on the specific binding of human Glu-plasminogen to fibrin I formed in plasma by clotting with Reptilase was studied using 125I-plasminogen and 131I-fibrinogen. In the absence of TPA, small amounts of plasminogen were bound to fibrin I. TPA induced binding of plasminogen to plasma fibrin I that was dependent upon the concentrations of TPA and plasminogen as well as upon the time of incubation. Plasminogen binding occurred in association with fibrin clot lysis and the formation in the clot supernatant of alpha 2-plasmin inhibitor-plasmin complexes. Urokinase also induced binding of plasminogen to plasma fibrin I that was concentration- and time-dependent. The molecular form of plasminogen bound to the fibrin I plasma clot was identified as Glu-plasminogen by dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and by fast performance liquid chromatography. Further studies demonstrated that fibrin I formed from fibrinogen that had been progressively degraded by plasmin-bound Glu-plasminogen. The mole ratio of plasminogen bound increased with the time of plasmin digestion. Glu-plasminogen did not bind to fibrin I formed from fibrinogen progressively digested by human leukocyte elastase, thereby demonstrating the specificity of plasmin. These studies demonstrate that plasminogen activators regulate the binding of Glu-plasminogen to fibrin I by catalyzing plasmin-mediated modifications in the fibrin substrate.     

Oxidative degradation of rat mast-cell heparin proteoglycan.

The mechanism of activation of human Glu-plasminogen by fibrin-bound tissue-type plasminogen activator (t-PA) in a plasma environment or in a reconstituted system was characterized. A heterogeneous system was used, allowing the setting of experimental conditions as close as possible to the physiological fibrin/plasma interphase, and permitting the separate analysis of the products present in each of the phases as a function of time. The generation of plasmin was monitored both by spectrophotometric analysis and by radioisotopic analysis with a plasmin-selective chromogenic substrate and radiolabelled Glu-plasminogen respectively. Plasmin(ogen)-derived products were identified by SDS/PAGE followed by autoradiography and/or immunoblotting. When the activation was performed in a plasma environment, the products identified on the fibrin surface were Glu-plasmin (90%) and Glu-plasminogen (10%), whereas in the soluble phase only complexes between Glu-plasmin and its fast-acting inhibitor were detected. Identical results were obtained with a reconstituted system comprising solid-phase fibrin, t-PA, Glu-plasminogen and and alpha 2-antiplasmin. In contrast, when alpha 2-antiplasmin was omitted from the solution, Lys-plasmin was progressively generated on to the fibrin surface (30%) and released to the soluble phase. In the presence of alpha 2-antiplasmin or in plasma, the amount of active plasmin generated on the fibrin surface was lower than in the absence of the inhibitor: in a representative experiment the initial velocity of plasmin generation was 2.8 x 10(-3), 2.0 x 10(-3) and 1.8 x 10(-3) (delta A405/min) for 200 nM-plasminogen, 200 nM-plasminogen plus 100 nM-alpha 2-antiplasmin and native plasma respectively. Our results indicate that in plasma or in a reconstituted purified system containing plasminogen and alpha 2-antiplasmin at a ratio similar to that found in plasma (1) the activation pathway of native Glu-plasminogen proceeds directly to the formation of Glu-plasmin, (2) Lys-plasminogen is not an intermediate of the reaction and therefore (3) Lys-plasmin is not the final active product. However, in the absence of the inhibitor, Lys-plasmin and probably Lys-plasminogen, which is more readily activated to plasmin than is Glu-plasminogen, are generated as well.     

On the specific interaction between the lysine-binding sites in plasmin and complementary sites in alpha2-antiplasmin and in fibrinogen.

Plasminogen and plasminogen derivatives which contain lysine-binding sites were found to decrease the reaction rate between plasmin and alpha2-antiplasmin by competing with plasmin for the complementary site(s) in alpha2-antiplasmin. The dissocwation constant Kd for the interaction between intact plasminogen (Glu-plasminogen) and alpha2-antiplasmin is 4.0 microM but those for Lys-plasminogen or TLCK-plasmin are about 10-fold lower indicating a stronger interaction. The lysine-binding site(s) which is situated in triple-loops 1--3 in the plasmin A-chain is mainly responsible for the interaction with alpha2-antiplasmin. The interaction between Glu-plasminogen and alpha2-antiplasmin furthermore enhances the activation of Glu-plasminogen by urokinase to a comparable extent as 6-aminohexanoic acid, suggesting that similar conformational changes occur in the proenzyme after complex formation. Fibrinogen, fibrinogen digested with plasmin, purified fragment E and purified fragment D interfere with the reaction between plasmin and alpha2-antiplasmin by competing with alpha2-antiplasmin for the lysine-binding site(s) in the plasmin A-chain. The Kd obtained for these interactions varied between 0.2 microM and 1.4 microM; fragment E being the most effective. Thus the fibrinogen molecule contains several complementary sites to the lysine-binding sites located both in its NH2-terminal and COOH-terminal regions; these sites are to a large extent.     

Features of the interaction of Glu- and Lys-forms of plasminogen with native and partially hydrolyzed fibrin]

Glu- and Lys-plasminogen interaction with native and desAABB-fibrin obtained from fibrinogen partially hydrolyzed by plasmin was studied. It was found that native fibrin adsorbs 6 times more Lys-plasminogen as compared to the native form of the proenzyme. The range of the Lys-plasminogen binding does not change, if part of the fibrinogen molecules hydrolyze down to X-fragments. At the same time, the appearance in the system of 1% Xi-fragments leads to a 6-fold increase in the Glu-plasminogen binding. The amount of adsorbed Glu-plasminogen reaches the level of Lys-plasminogen adsorption both in the native and partially hydrolyzed fibrin. It was found that kringle K 1-3 or 6-aminohexanoic acid at saturating for high-affinity lysine-binding sites concentrations do not influence the Glu-plasminogen binding to native fibrin but inhibit it when the partially purified form is used. It is assumed that the manyfold increase of the Glu-plasminogen binding to partially hydrolyzed fibrin is due to the alteration of the proenzyme conformation at the initial steps of fibrin hydrolysis during the formation of Xi fragments.     

Effect of endogenous fibrinolysis activation on human plasminogen

Plasminogen preparation from donor blood and fibrinolytically active blood plasma from humans after sudden death were obtained using affinity chromatography on Lysin-sepharose 4B. The plasminogen preparation from donor blood was shown to be highly purified native plasminogen (Glu-plasminogen). The preparation containing activated plasminogen (Lys-plasminogen), plasmin, plasminogen activator, alpha 2-macroglobulin, alpha 1-antitrypsin, fibrin/fibrinogen was obtained from the blood plasma of humans after sudden death. The appearance of proteins lacking biological specificity to lysin-sepharose in the plasminogen preparation shows the ability of activated plasminogen and plasmin to form complexes with these proteins and demonstrates the retention of the functional activity in lysin-binding regions on their molecules. Monospecific sera to the isolated preparations were obtained, demonstrating the presence of the same immunochemical determinants in native and activated plasminogen.     

The effect of kringles K1-3, K4 and K5 on lysis of fibrin clots caused by the activation of Glu- and Lys-plasminogen by a tissue activator

Kringles K1-3, K4 and K5 are studied for their effect on tissue plasminogen activator-induced fibrin clot lysis in the presence of Glu- and Lys-plasminogen. It is established that kringles K4 and K5 inhibit fibrinolysis of Glu-plasminogen, and K1-3--that of Lys-plasminogen. The role of plasminogen molecule kringles in the plasminogen interaction with fibrin polymer is discussed.     

Lysine- and arginyl-binding sites of plasminogen domains

Hydrolysis of plasminogen permits obtaining its nine fragments. The method of differential scanning microcalorimetry reveals seven domains in plasminogen, and the affinity chromatography--three lysin- and three arginyl-binding sites. The lysin-binding sites of domains (Kringles) K1 and K4 differ in ligand specificity. Benzamidine-binding sites of domain K5 and of plasmin light chain are simultaneously arginine-binding ones. The third arginyl-binding site differing from the benzamidine-binding one is found in fragment K1-3. In the plasminogen-fibrin interaction only lysin-binding sites of plasminogen take part; in the plasminogen fragments-fibrinogen fragments interaction both types of plasminogen sites participate. The heavy chain of plasmin interacts with the E-fragment of fibrinogen by the lysin-binding sites, and the light chain of plasmin interacts with D-fragment of fibrinogen by arginyl-binding sites. Sites complementary to arginyl binding sites of plasminogen are located on the DH-fragment and sites of interaction with lysin- and arginyl-binding sites--on the DL-fragment. The plasmin-fibrin interaction mediated by sites of the first four cringles is not associated with changes in the catalytic function of the active centre. Interaction of Lys-plasminogen with fibrin accelerates polymerization of the latter. The effect of Lys-plasminogen is conditioned by the lysin-binding sites. Glu-plasminogen has no effect on the polymerization process.     

A transitional state of pro-urokinase that has a higher catalytic efficiency against glu-plasminogen than urokinase.

Plasminogen activation by single-chain urokinase-type plasminogen activator or pro-urokinase (pro-UK) is accompanied by the generation of two-chain urokinase (UK) by plasmin which provides a positive feedback. In the present study, the time course of the activation of Glu-plasminogen and of Lys-plasminogen (10 microM) by pro-UK (1.0 nM) was studied. In the presence of native plasminogen (Glu-plasminogen), three distinct phases with different rates of plasmin generation were observed. The initial phase was slow and corresponded to the intrinsic activity of pro-UK as reflected by the activity of a plasmin-resistant mutant (Lys158----Ala). This was followed by a second phase which had the most rapid rate. The third phase had a plasminogen activation rate which was significantly slower than the second and paralleled the rate of activation by UK (1.0 nM). The second phase coincided with the time at which there was only about 50% conversion of pro-UK to UK, whereas the final phase coincided with essentially complete conversion. In the presence of fibrin fragment E-2 (20 microM), previously shown to strongly promote plasminogen activation by pro-UK, the identical phenomenon was observed, but at one-tenth the concentration of pro-UK. The most rapid rate of plasmin generation again coincided with transitional (25-60%) pro-UK to UK conversion. To further examine this phenomenon, the rate of pro-UK to UK conversion was controlled by using kallikrein in the presence of a plasmin inhibitor. In this experiment, the activation of Glu-plasminogen bound to solid-phase fibrin was measured. A similar three-phase sequence was observed, the highest rate of plasmin generation coinciding with about 45% conversion of pro-UK to UK. A mechanism for this transitional state phenomenon was postulated based on the established significantly higher affinity of pro-UK than of UK for Glu-plasminogen. This exceptional property for a proenzyme may enable a transient activity to be generated during the transition from pro-UK to UK corresponding to the more favorable KM of pro-UK and the kcat of UK. This hypothesis was supported by the results from experiments in which Lys-plasminogen was substituted for the Glu form. No transitional state activity was observed, consistent with the relatively high KM of pro-UK against Lys-plasminogen.     

Molecular Aspects of Fibrin Clot Solubilization

THE human plasma protein, fibrinogen, is a disulphide bonded¹ dimer², each unit containing an Aα, Bβ and 8 chain^*, interconnected by disulphide bridges³. Thrombin (E.C.3.4.4.-13) releases fibrinopeptides A and B from the Aα and Bβ chains respectively⁴ to form fibrin monomer (α₂β₂γ₂) ? which polymerizes to form fibrin polymer or clotted fibrin. This polymer, following factor XIII (plasma transglutaminase, fibrin stabilizing factor) mediated crosslinking among the α chains and among the γ chains⁵, is one of the major and initiating constituents of a thrombus. Fibrinolytic activators, for example, streptokinase (SK) and urokinase (UK), are of thrombolytic value as they convert the thrombus plasminogen to plasmin (E.C.3.4.4.14) which by fibrinolytic action dissolves the thrombus. Whereas the interaction of fibrinogen and plasmin has been well studied^6–9, little is known concerning the mechanism of plasmin mediated fibrin clot lysis. I report here on the mechanism of non-cross-linked fibrin clot solubilization in near physiological conditions.     

Binding and activation of plasminogen at the surface of Staphylococcus aureus. Increase in affinity after conversion to the Lys form of the ligand.

Untreated Staphylococcus aureus cells, strain Cowan I, specifically bound 125I-Glu-plasminogen. The binding was inhibited by both unlabeled Glu-plasminogen and Glu-plasmin. The Lys form of plasminogen, which lacks the 8-kDa amino-terminal activation peptide, was approximately 100-fold more effective than the Glu form in competing with the binding of 125I-labeled Glu-plasminogen. This suggests an increase in binding affinity upon removal of the activation peptide. Fibronectin, fibrinogen and IgG, plasma components known to bind to the staphylococcal surface, did not significantly interfere with the binding. The competing activity in plasma was abolished by specifically absorbing plasminogen from the plasma sample. L-Lysine and a fragment of plasminogen containing three of the first five protein attachment domains present in the molecule (kringle structures) also competed with plasminogen for binding suggesting that the lysine-binding sites of plasminogen were involved in its interaction with staphylococci. Scatchard analysis revealed high- and low-affinity binding sites. Kd and the number of high-affinity binding sites were 1.7 nM and 780 binding sites/bacterial cell, respectively. 125I-Glu-plasminogen bound to staphylococcal surface was converted to plasmin by tissue-type plasminogen activator. The conversion took place also in the presence of plasma. If the conversion was carried out in the absence of low-molecular-mass plasmin inhibitors such as aprotinin, the bound Glu-plasmin was further converted to Lys-plasmin. The surface-bound plasmin was enzymically active, as judged by digestion of the synthetic substrate, S-2251. The plasminogen conversion shown by the present experiments not only leads to the surface-bound plasmin but seems to considerably increase the affinity of plasmin for its binding site. This may represent a physiologically relevant method for a bacterial cell to retain surface-bound active plasmin which is also protected from its soluble plasma inhibitors. This novel mechanism for staphylococci to adopt surface-bound proteolytic activity, without the interference of plasma components, may have some role in the tissue penetration and invasion of microbes during infection.     

Relationship of Plasminogen Activator to Fibrin

THERE are two principal theories of the mechanism of thrombus dissolution by the fibrinolytic system. Alkjaersig et al.¹ suggested that as fibrin polymerizes, plasminogen is adsorbed preferentially to the fibrin and is available in large quantities within a thrombus which is comparatively free of antiplasmin. When an activator enters the circulation it diffuses into the clot converting the plasminogen to plasmin in situ and so promotes lysis. Ambrus and Markus², however, proposed that when plasmin forms in the circulation naturally or during infusion of an activator it is normally bound to the excess antiplasmin present in blood. They suggested that this plasmin/antiplasmin complex is reversible and dissociates in the presence of fibrin, its preferred substrate, so allowing the plasmin to bring about fibrin dissolution by “external lysis”. Neither of these theories, however, is supported by an observed phenomena.     

Plasminogen binding by alpha 2-antiplasmin and histidine-rich glycoprotein does not inhibit plasminogen activation at the surface of fibrin.

alpha 2-antiplasmin (alpha 2-AP) exerts its inhibitory effect on fibrinolysis by rapidly inhibiting the plasmin evolved; in addition, it has been suggested that interference with the binding of plasminogen to fibrin, a function shared with histidine-rich glycoprotein (HRGP), may also be significant in inhibition of fibrinolysis. To elucidate if plasminogen binding by these two alpha 2-globulins may decrease the generation of plasmin by tissue-type plasminogen activator (t-PA) at the surface of fibrin, a system mimicking the fibrin/plasma interface was used. Attempts were made to differentiate the plasminogen binding from the plasmin inhibitory function of alpha 2-AP. The activation of human Glu-plasminogen (native plasminogen with NH2-terminal glutamic acid) by fibrin-bound t-PA was performed in a plasma environment using either normal plasma, alpha 2-AP- or HRGP-depleted plasmas supplemented with increasing amounts of the lacking protein, or in a reconstituted system with purified plasminogen and various concentrations of alpha 2-AP and HRGP. The activation of Glu-plasminogen in alpha 2-AP-depleted plasma containing a normal concentration of HRGP produced a time-dependent increase in the generation of plasmin. The addition of 1 microM-alpha 2-AP to this plasma prevented the formation of Lys-derivatives and produced a marked decrease (42%) in the number of plasminogen-binding sites. In contrast, the addition of 1.5 microM-HRGP to HRGP-depleted plasma containing a normal amount of alpha 2-AP produced only a modest (17%) decrease in the amount of plasmin(ogen) bound. Moreover, in a purified system the amount of plasminogen-binding sites and thereby of plasmin generated at the surface of fibrin in the presence of both alpha-2 globulins was similar to the amount generated in the presence of alpha 2-AP alone. These results indicate clearly that the formation of reversible complexes between plasminogen and alpha 2-AP does not interfere with the binding and activation of plasminogen at the fibrin surface. In contrast, the inhibition of plasmin by alpha 2-AP decreases importantly the number of plasminogen-binding sites (carboxyl-terminal lysines) and inhibits thereby the accelerated phase of fibrinolysis. It can be concluded that interference of the binding of plasminogen to fibrin by alpha 2-AP during plasminogen activation, does not play a significant role in inhibition of fibrinolysis, and that the plasminogen-binding effect of HRGP, if any, is obscured by the important inhibitory effect of alpha 2-AP.     

Actin accelerates plasmin generation by tissue plasminogen activator.

Actin has been found to bind to plasmin's kringle regions, thereby inhibiting its enzymatic activity in a noncompetitive manner. We, therefore, examined its effect upon the conversion of plasminogen to plasmin by tissue plasminogen activator. Actin stimulated plasmin generation from both Glu- and Lys-plasminogen, lowering the Km for activation of Glu-plasminogen into the low micromolar range. Accelerated plasmin generation did not occur in the presence of epsilon-amino caproic acid or if actin was exposed to acetic anhydride, an agent known to acetylate lysine residues. Actin binds to tissue plasminogen activator (t-Pa) (Kd = 0.55 microM), at least partially via lysine-binding sites. Actin's stimulation of plasmin generation from Glu-plasminogen was inhibited by the addition of aprotinin and was restored by the substitution of plasmin-treated actin, indicating the operation of a plasmin-dependent positive feedback mechanism. Native actin binds to Lys-plasminogen, and promotes its conversion to plasmin even in the presence of aprotinin, indicating that plasmin's cleavage of either actin or plasminogen leads to further plasmin generation. Plasmin-treated actin binds Glu-plasminogen and t-PA simultaneously, thereby raising the local concentration of t-PA and plasminogen. Together, but not separately, actin and t-PA prolong the thrombin time of plasma through the generation of plasmin and fibrinogen degradation products. Actin-stimulated plasmin generation may be responsible for some of the changes found in peripheral blood following tissue injury and sepsis.     

Initial plasmin-degradation of fibrin as the basis of a positive feed-back mechanism in fibrinolysis

This study deals with the effect of fibrin on the transformation of Glu-plasminogen to Glu-plasmin during fibrinolysis. It focuses particularly on changes in fibrin effector function caused by plasmin-catalysed fibrin degradation. Conversion of 125I-labelled Glu-plasminogen to Glu-plasmin was catalysed by urokinase or tissue plasminogen activator, in the presence of different preparations of progressively degraded fibrin. Plasmin catalysis of Glu-plasminogen and the fibrin (derivative) effector was inhibited by aprotinin. The presence of intact fibrin enhanced the rate of Glu-plasmin formation catalysed by tissue plasminogen activator, but not by urokinase. The presence of initially plasmin-cleaved fibrin, however, increased the rates of Glu-plasmin formation with both activators, as compared to those found with intact fibrin. The rate enhancements induced by initial plasmin degradation of the fibrin effector were associated with an increase in its affinity to both Glu-plasminogen and tissue plasminogen activator, suggesting causal relationships. The weak binding of urokinase was unaffected by fibrin degradation, indicating that effector function was solely exerted on the Glu-plasminogen moiety of urokinase-activated systems. Further degradation of fibrin decreased the stimulating effect on Glu-plasmin formation. This decrease occurred at an earlier stage of degradation with tissue plasminogen activator than with urokinase, indicating that greater integrity of the fibrin effector is necessary for its optimal interaction with the tissue plasminogen activator than with Glu-plasminogen. Concentrations of tranexamic acid that saturate low-affinity lysine-binding sites nearly completely dissociated the binding of Glu-plasminogen to degraded fibrin, but not to intact fibrin. In analogy with the binding of lysine analogues to these sites, the conformation of Glu-plasminogen may be altered by binding to degraded fibrin, thus giving rise to the increased activation rate.     

The cell-binding domains of plasminogen and their function in plasma

Plasminogen binding sites are expressed by a wide variety of cell types and serve to promote fibrinolysis and local proteolysis. In this study, the recognition specificity of cells for plasminogen has been examined, primarily using platelets as models. Analyses with plasminogen fragments implicated residues 79-337 (or 353), comprising the first three kringles of plasminogen, as a primary recognition site for plasminogen binding to both thrombin-stimulated and nonstimulated platelets. Other regions of plasminogen, namely residues 354-439 and 442-790, can also participate in the interaction, and these other regions contribute differentially to the binding of the ligand to stimulated and nonstimulated platelets. Binding to nucleated cells, with U937 cells serving as the prototype, is dependent upon a recognition specificity similar to that of unstimulated platelets. Binding of Glu-plasminogen, the native form of the molecule, to thrombin-stimulated platelets has been shown previously to require platelet fibrin. By comparing the interaction of Glu-plasminogen and its degradation product, Lys-plasminogen, with thrombin-stimulated platelets, it is concluded that the cell surface uniquely enhances the affinity of Glu-, but not Lys-plasminogen, for fibrin. Finally, we have demonstrated that cellular receptors and interactive sites within plasminogen are available in the plasma environment. Thus, the functions ascribed to cellular plasminogen receptors can occur within a physiologic setting.