title: Plasminogen-dependent proteolytic activity in Bifidobacterium lactis.
abstract: Bifidobacteria represent one of the most important health-promoting bacterial groups of the intestinal microbiota. The binding of plasminogen to species of Bifidobacterium has been recently reported. To further explore the interaction between bifidobacteria and plasminogen, we investigated the role of Bifidobacterium lactis BI07 plasminogen-dependent proteolytic activity in the degradation of host-specific substrates. Our experimental data demonstrate that the recruitment of plasminogen on the bacterial cell surface and its subsequent conversion into plasmin by host-derived plasminogen activators provide B. lactis BI07 with a surface-associated plasmin activity effective in degradation of physiological substrates such as extracellular matrix, fibronectin and fibrinogen. The ability of bifidobacteria to intervene in the host plasminogen/plasmin system may contribute to facilitating colonization of the host gastrointestinal tract.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, CIRB-centre for Biotechnology, University of Bologna, Via Belmeloro 6, 40126 Bologna, Italy.
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Candela
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, CIRB-centre for Biotechnology, University of Bologna, Via Belmeloro 6, 40126 Bologna, Italy.
authors.forename: Giacomo
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Miccoli
authors.affiliation: Max von Pettenkofer Institut, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Pettenkoferstr. 9a, D-80336 München, Germany.|University of Würzburg, Research Centre for Infectious Diseases, RÖntgenring 11, D-97070 Würzburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Simone
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bergmann
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, CIRB-centre for Biotechnology, University of Bologna, Via Belmeloro 6, 40126 Bologna, Italy.
authors.forename: Silvia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Turroni
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, CIRB-centre for Biotechnology, University of Bologna, Via Belmeloro 6, 40126 Bologna, Italy.
authors.forename: Beatrice
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Vitali
authors.affiliation: Max von Pettenkofer Institut, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Pettenkoferstr. 9a, D-80336 München, Germany.|University of Würzburg, Research Centre for Infectious Diseases, RÖntgenring 11, D-97070 Würzburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Sven
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hammerschmidt
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, CIRB-centre for Biotechnology, University of Bologna, Via Belmeloro 6, 40126 Bologna, Italy.
authors.forename: Patrizia
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Brigidi
mesh_terms: D001644:Bifidobacterium / Q000378:metabolism*; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D005109:Extracellular Matrix / Q000378:metabolism; D005340:Fibrinogen / Q000378:metabolism; D005341:Fibrinolysin / Q000378:metabolism; D005353:Fibronectins / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D007422:Intestines / Q000382:microbiology*; D010958:Plasminogen / Q000378:metabolism*; D010960:Plasminogen Activators / Q000378:metabolism; D011499:Protein Processing, Post-Translational
chemical_list: D005353:Fibronectins; D005340:Fibrinogen; D010958:Plasminogen; D010960:Plasminogen Activators; D005341:Fibrinolysin