We isolated a novel protease that converts plasminogen to angiostatin-like fragments (BL-angiostatins) from a culture of Bacillus megaterium A9542 through a single-step chromatography on CM-cellulose. Although BL-MA failed to activate plasminogen, it increased urokinase-catalyzed activation of plasminogen caused by production of miniplasminogen, which is highly susceptible to activation. In addition, BL-MA was active in converting prourokinase, prothrombin, coagulation factor X, and protein C to their active forms. BL-MA enhanced both the clotting of human plasma and clot dissolution in the presence of prourokinase. Thus, BL-MA affects blood coagulation and fibrinolysis systems and can be used to produce angiostatin-like plasminogen fragments and active serine proteases of human plasma.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.