Inter-molecular crosslinking activity is engendered by the dimeric form of transglutaminase 2.

Transglutaminase 2 (TGase 2) catalyzes a crosslink between protein bound-glutamine and -lysine. We proposed the mechanism of TGase 2 activation depends on conformation change from unfolded monomer to unfolded dimer. We found that TGase 2 has temperature-sensitive conformation change system at 30 °C. Small-angle X-ray scattering analysis showed that the enzyme was maintained as an unfolded monomer at temperatures below 30 °C, but changed to an unfolded dimer at over 30 °C. Mass analysis revealed that the C-terminus of TGase 2 was the critical region for dimerization. Furthermore, this conformational switch creates new biochemical reactivity that catalyzed inter-molecular crosslink at above 30 °C as an unfolded dimer of TGase 2 while catalyzed intra-molecular crosslink at below 30 °C as an unfolded monomer of TGase 2. The mechanism of TGase 2 activation depends on temperature-sensitive conformation change from unfolded monomer to unfolded dimer at over 30 °C. Furthermore, inter-molecular crosslinking activity is generated by the dimeric form of TGase 2. TGase 2 switches its conformation from a monomer to a dimer following a change in temperature, which engendered unique catalytic function of enzyme as inter-molecular crosslinking activity with calcium.