Transglutaminase 1: Emerging Functions beyond Skin

Abstract

Transglutaminase enzymes catalyze Ca2+- and thiol-dependent posttranslational modifications of glutamine-residues that include esterification, hydrolysis and transamidation, which results in covalent protein–protein crosslinking. Among the eight transglutaminase family members in mammals, transglutaminase 1 (TG1) plays a crucial role in skin barrier formation via crosslinking and insolubilizing proteins in keratinocytes. Despite this established function in skin, novel functions have begun merging in normal tissue homeostasis as well as in pathologies. This review summarizes our current understanding of the structure, activation, expression and activity patterns of TG1 and discusses its putative novel role in other tissues, such as in vascular integrity, and in diseases, such as cancer and fibrosis.