THE ACTION OF A PROTEOLYTIC ENZYME FROM ASPERGILLUS ORYZAE ON COMPONENTS OF THE BLOOD CLOTTING SYSTEM

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
CA.7, a highly purified proteolytic enzyme from Aspergillus oryzae, acts on a number of the coagulation factors. In low concentrations, immediate action is to decrease the recalcified clotting time. The evidence, as furnished by experiments on a prothrombin fraction, is that it does this by converting prothrombin to thrombin. In this regard its action is similar to that of thromboplastin. During incubation, especially with increasing concentrations, it destroys prothrombin and fibrinogen, and plasma becomes incoagulable. It destroys normal plasma antithrombin but, paradoxically, generates a thrombin–fibrinogen inhibiting activity by its proteolytic action on fibrinogen in plasma.