Previous studies have suggested that the plasminogen activator (PA)/plasmin system has important roles in the pathogenesis of epithelial defects and stromal ulceration. The current studies were performed to localize PA species and identify them as tissue-type PA (tPA) or urokinase-like PA (uPA) as the two have distinct regulatory properties potentially related to the mechanisms of defect formation and ulceration. To determine the locations and types of PA species, antibodies to tPA or to uPA or the drug amiloride (a drug that inhibits uPA but not tPA) were incorporated into fibrin/fib-ronectin (Fn) clots overlying frozen sections to block regional fibrinolysis. Normal rabbit eyes showed tPA activity in association with corneal epithelium, corneal endothelium, and ciliary body/iris. After epithelial scrape or alkali burn, corneal tPA activity was detected initially in the defect zone colinear with fibrin/Fn and was symmetrical to resurfacing epithelium. The observation that initial fibrinolysis occurs in the defect zone, known to contain fibrin/Fn, suggests that tPA from blood (limbal vascular endothelium) and/or from corneal epithelium has become bound to (and activated on) the fibrin/Fn. PA activity was also associated with the leading edges of migrating epithelium post-scrape and post-burn and was not inhibited by antibodies to either tPA or uPA but was inhibited by amiloride. After complete closure of the primary defect post-scrape, only tPA appeared to be associated with the epithelium in that all PA activity was inhibited by antibodies to tPA. The observation that leading edge activity post-burn, in correlation with the formation of secondary defects, continues to be inhibitable by amiloride but not by antibodies to tPA suggests that uPA remains abnormally on the leading edge, and that sustained uPA activity in that location results in inappropriate degradation of subepithelial fibrin/Fn to result in a defect. Successful regulation of uPA activity at the leading edge of corneal epithelium post-burn would be expected to be useful therapeutically in the healing of epithelial defects and the prevention of stromal ulceration.