Autoradiographic and immunoblotting analyses of the activation pathways of plasminogen by urokinase and tissue plasminogen activator in the plasma or clotted plasma

Abstract

The activation pathway of Glu-plasminogen (Glu-plg) was analyzed by using immunoblotting and autoradiography. Glu-plg was slowly activated to Glu-plasmin by urokinase (UK) and tissue plasminogen activator (t-PA) in the plasma. Significant amounts of a complex of alpha 2AP with plasmin were found. On the other hand, UK and t-PA rapidly activated Glu-plg in the clotted plasma. The major form of plasmin was Lys-form, and significant amounts of alpha 2M complexed with plasmin were found. A complex of alpha 2AP with plasmin was not so significantly formed in the clot, confirming ineffective inhibition of plasmin by alpha 2AP in the presence of fibrin. Glu-plg was directly activated by UK or t-PA to Glu-plasmin and further to Lys-plasmin in the plasma or clotted plasma.