Forty-nine bacterial strains representing five species known to interact with human plasminogen were tested for the ability to bind the two major human plasminogen activators, t-PA and urokinase. The bacterial species tested included Haemophilus influenzae, Neisseria meningitidis, Streptococcus pyogenes, Streptococcus equisimilis and human group G streptococci. All N. meningitidis and 11 of 14 H. influenzae strains displayed substantial binding of t-PA with values in the range of 20-46%. On the contrary, none of the streptococcal strains bound significant amounts of tPA. With urokinase no binding could be found for any of the bacterial species tested. Scatchard analysis with a selected H. influenzae strain (HI23354) demonstrated 10,000 receptors per bacterium for t-PA with a Kd value of about 20 nmol l-1. The corresponding values with a selected N. meningitidis strain (Mo 52) was 8500 receptors per bacterium and 70 nmol l-1. t-PA binding could be reduced about 40% by the addition of 10 mmol l-1 of the lysine analogue epsilon-aminocaproic acd (EACA) whereas no inhibitory effect could be demonstrated with arginine. Addition of 2 mumol l-1 of plasminogen which is enough to occupy all bacterial sites for plasminogen did not interfere with the t-PA binding, suggesting that the receptors for t-PA and plasminogen are distinct. Using very high plasminogen concentrations however, t-PA binding could be reduced by about 50% possibly due to an interaction between t-PA and plasminogen in the fluid phase. Our results demonstrate the occurrence of a previously unknown type of bacterial receptor that is capable of specifically binding t-PA.