The Plasminogen Activation System and the Regulation of Catecholaminergic Function

Figure 5

Working model for a local (autocrine/paracrine) chromaffin cell plasminogen/plasmin system and its interactions with CgA. Upon stimulation of the chromaffin cell by a secretagogue, CgA and catecholamines (cats) are coreleased by exocytosis. Plasminogen (from circulating sources) and its activator t-PA (synthesized and secreted from the chromaffin cell) bind to the chromaffin cell surface, with resultant activation of plasminogen to plasmin. CgA subsequently is cleaved by plasmin to liberate peptide fragments, which provides a negative feedback loop to modulate subsequent catecholamine release. [1].