Prostate transglutaminase: a unique transglutaminase and its role in prostate cancer

Prostate transglutaminase-4, also known as TGM4 or transglutaminase P, belongs to the prostate transglutaminase protein family, but is almost uniquely distributed in the prostate gland. Recent years have seen an expansion of interest in this enzyme, which is intriguingly expressed in prostate tissues and prostate cancer. In recent studies, the molecule has been found to have a diverse impact on prostate cancer cell growth, migration and invasiveness, and to be involved in the tumor-endothelial interaction and epithelial-mesenchymal transition, and has a wide interaction with other molecular complexes implicating it as a possible biomarker of aggressive versus nonaggressive cancer, as well as a therapeutic factor. This article reviews the recent progress and discusses the controversies and future directions in this exciting area of prostate cancer research.