{"entity": "publication", "iuid": "68c5b85bea114965b33c74891182a64d", "timestamp": "2026-09-25T23:04:15.606Z", "links": {"self": {"href": "https://publications-affiliated.scilifelab.se/publication/68c5b85bea114965b33c74891182a64d.json"}, "display": {"href": "https://publications-affiliated.scilifelab.se/publication/68c5b85bea114965b33c74891182a64d"}}, "title": "Streptolysin O accelerates the conversion of plasminogen to plasmin.", "authors": [{"family": "Tang", "given": "Di", "initials": "D", "orcid": "0000-0001-6323-9375", "researcher": {"href": "https://publications-affiliated.scilifelab.se/researcher/71ab26121ccb4cbcb99161cea8aca0cd.json"}}, {"family": "Khakzad", "given": "Hamed", "initials": "H", "orcid": "0000-0002-8556-0650", "researcher": {"href": "https://publications-affiliated.scilifelab.se/researcher/4f180aac313b4c58821bf706a242d345.json"}}, {"family": "Hjortswang", "given": "Elisabeth", "initials": "E"}, {"family": "Malmstr\u00f6m", "given": "Lars", "initials": "L", "orcid": "0000-0001-9885-9312", "researcher": {"href": "https://publications-affiliated.scilifelab.se/researcher/f0310c5c750a4357af859999d705cfad.json"}}, {"family": "Ekstr\u00f6m", "given": "Simon", "initials": "S", "orcid": "0000-0002-7694-285X", "researcher": {"href": "https://publications-affiliated.scilifelab.se/researcher/277129edad3b4b77b645be7353cec439.json"}}, {"family": "Happonen", "given": "Lotta", "initials": "L", "orcid": "0000-0002-5922-4549", "researcher": {"href": "https://publications-affiliated.scilifelab.se/researcher/687cf1ac5c8e4c52add689341b2d61e8.json"}}, {"family": "Malmstr\u00f6m", "given": "Johan", "initials": "J", "orcid": "0000-0002-2889-7169", "researcher": {"href": "https://publications-affiliated.scilifelab.se/researcher/c89da9268a4f47a8a99fd62de451aaa7.json"}}], "type": "journal article", "published": "2024-11-25", "journal": {"title": "Nat Commun", "issn": "2041-1723", "volume": "15", "issue": "1", "pages": "10212", "issn-l": "2041-1723"}, "abstract": "Group A Streptococcus (GAS) is a human-specific bacterial pathogen that can exploit the plasminogen-plasmin fibrinolysis system to dismantle blood clots and facilitate its spread and survival within the human host. In this study, we use affinity-enrichment mass spectrometry to decipher the host-pathogen protein-protein interaction between plasminogen and streptolysin O, a key cytolytic toxin produced by GAS. This interaction accelerates the conversion of plasminogen to plasmin by both the host tissue-type plasminogen activator and streptokinase, a bacterial plasminogen activator secreted by GAS. Integrative structural mass spectrometry analysis shows that the interaction induces local conformational shifts in plasminogen. These changes lead to the formation of a stabilised intermediate plasminogen-streptolysin O complex that becomes significantly more susceptible to proteolytic processing by plasminogen activators. Our findings reveal a conserved and moonlighting pathomechanistic function for streptolysin O that extends beyond its well-characterised cytolytic activity.", "doi": "10.1038/s41467-024-54173-6", "pmid": "39587097", "labels": [], "xrefs": [{"db": "pmc", "key": "PMC11589678"}, {"db": "pii", "key": "10.1038/s41467-024-54173-6"}], "notes": [], "created": "2026-09-23T12:25:30.349Z", "modified": "2026-09-23T12:25:30.418Z"}