Cloning, expression, sequence analysis, and characterization of streptokinases secreted by porcine and equine isolates of Streptococcus equisimilis.

Streptokinases secreted by nonhuman isolates of group C streptococci (Streptococcus equi, S. equisimilis, and S. zooepidemicus) have been shown to bind to different mammalian plasminogens but exhibit preferential plasminogen activity. The streptokinase genes from S. equisimilis strains which activated either equine or porcine plasminogen were cloned, sequenced, and expressed in Escherichia coli. The streptokinase secreted by the equine isolate had little similarity to any known streptokinases secreted by either human or porcine isolates. The streptokinase secreted by the porcine isolate had limited structural and functional similarities to streptokinases secreted by human isolates. Plasminogen activation studies with immobilized (His)(6)-tagged recombinant streptokinases indicated that these recombinant streptokinases interacted with plasminogen in a manner similar to that observed when streptokinase and plasminogen interact in the fluid phase. Analysis of the cleavage products of the streptokinase-plasminogen interaction indicated that human, equine, and porcine plasminogens were all cleaved at the same highly conserved site. The site at which streptokinase was cleaved to form altered streptokinase (Sk*) was also determined. This study confirmed not only the presence of streptokinases in nonhuman S. equisimilis isolates but also that these proteins belong to a family of plasminogen activators more diverse than previously thought.