Summary
Slime produced by S. epidermidis strain KH 11 was extracted with phenol-saline. The
saline phase was fractionated on a DEAE-Sepharose CL-6B column. The crude slime solution
and its phenol-saline fraction were found to possess anticoagulant properties. They
inhibited the coagulation of human plasma by thrombin, prolonged the activated partial
thromboplastin time, but did not change the rate of plasma coagulation by reptilase.
The anticoagulant effect of slime could be neutralized by rather high concentrations
of protamine sulphate. In the presence of plasma, the staphylococcal slime also inhibited
in a concentration dependent fashion the amidolytic activity of thrombin and factor
Xa against synthetic chromogenic substrates. Both antithrombin III (AT III) and other
plasma component(s), presumably heparin cofactor II, were required for the full expression
of the slime effect. The anticoagulant action of slime was markedly less AT III dependent
than that of heparin. The activity was resistant to heating (100° C, 30 min). Slime
and its fractions were stronger inhibitors of thrombin than of factor Xa. Fraction
IV separated by DEAE-Sepharose chromatography and particularly rich in galactose and
glucuronic acid had the highest inhibitory potency. It is conceivable that slime component(s)
similar to glycosaminogly-cans from other sources can carry the anticoagulant activity.
Keywords
Staphylococcal slime - Antithrombin activity - Anti-Xa activity
