Cell surface antigens of Mycoplasma species bovine group 7 bind to and activate plasminogen.

Mycoplasma species bovine group 7 bound plasminogen at the cell surface in a lysine-dependent manner. Cell-bound plasminogen was rapidly activated to plasmin by exogenous urokinase, and this activity was associated with plasminogen binding capacity. Binding assays using plasminogen modified with a trifunctional cross-linking agent revealed several binding proteins.