What is the function of Staphylokinase?
It is similar to streptokinase. Staphylokinase is positively regulated by the “agr” gene regulator. It activates plasminogen to form plasmin, which digests fibrin clots. This disrupts the fibrin meshwork which forms to keep infections localized.
What is the mean of staphylococci?
Definition of staphylococcus : any of a genus (Staphylococcus) of nonmotile gram-positive spherical bacteria that occur singly, in pairs or tetrads, or in irregular clusters and include causative agents of various diseases (such as skin infections, food poisoning, and endocarditis)
What does it mean to be coagulase positive?
If ‘positive’ (e.g., the suspect colony is S. aureus), the plasma will coagulate, resulting in a clot (sometimes the clot is so pronounced, the liquid will completely solidify). If ‘negative’, the plasma remains a liquid.
What are identifying characteristics of Staphylococcus aureus?
Microscopic morphology. S. aureus cells are Gram-positive and appear in spherical shape. They are often in clusters resembling bunch of grapes when observed under light microscope after Gram staining.
What is bound coagulase?
Bound coagulase (clumping factor) is bound to the bacterial cell wall and reacts directly with fibrinogen. This results in an alternation of fibrinogen so that it precipitates on the staphylococcal cell, causing the cells to clump when a bacterial suspension is mixed with plasma.
What is the function of staphylokinase?
Staphylokinase is a profibrinolytic agent that forms a 1:1 stoichiometric complex with plasminogen which, following conversion to plasmin, activates other plasminogen molecules to plasmin. The plasmin, staphylokinase complex, unlike the plasmin, streptokinase complex, is rapidly inhibited by alpha 2-antiplasmin.
Is staphylokinase profibrinolytic?
Staphylokinase was known to possess profibrinolytic properties more than four decades ago.35 It is produced by certain strains of S. aureus.
What is the difference between plasmin and staphylokinase?
The plasmin, staphylokinase complex, unlike the plasmin, streptokinase complex, is rapidly inhibited by alpha 2-antiplasmin. In a plasma milieu, staphylokinase is able to dissolve fibrin clots without associated fibrinogen degradation.
What happens when Staphylokinase is added to fibrin?
When staphylokinase is added to human plasma containing a fibrin clot, it reacts poorly with plasminogen in plasma but reacts with high affinity with traces of plasmin at the clot surface and converts into plasmin-staphylokinase complex that, at the clot surface, efficiently activates plasminogen to plasmin.