[Transglutaminase and neurodegenerative diseases]

Transglutaminase (TG) is a kind of calcium-dependent enzymes. The TGase family found in rodents and human contains 9 types, including TG1-7, blood coagulation factor XIIIa and erythrocyte membrane protein 4.2, with the former 8 types possessing catalytic activity. TG catalyzes various conversion reactions of glutamine, including transamination, deamination and esterification, and participates in post-transcriptional modification of proteins such as cross-linking peptides glutamine residue and lysyl-residue, stabilizing protein structure and catalyzing formation of protein aggregates. TGase has been found to contribute to a variety of important physiological and pathological processes and play a role in the pathogenesis of multiple diseases. Notably, neurodegenerative diseases such as Huntington's disease, spinocerebellar ataxia, Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease, have a close connection with TGase's role in the human body.