Regulation of transglutaminase activity by GTP in digitonin permeabilized Yoshida tumor cells.

Yoshida tumor cells contain consistent amounts of type 2 transglutaminase, along with a membrane bound form of the enzyme. Digitonin permeabilized cells retain a large proportion of type 2 TGase and of substrate proteins which are labelled by radioactive putrescine in the presence of calcium. GTP inhibits protein labelling at low calcium concentration by inhibiting type 2 TGase without affecting membrane-bound TGase. These results support the notion that inhibition of type 2 TGase by GTP is physiologically relevant.