Industrial production of transglutaminase

Initial studies of food protein modification with transglutaminase (TGase) confirmed its utility, while the subsequent discovery of a microbial TGase (MTGase) accelerated studies on its application to food processing, leading to its innovation as a modification enzyme that is now widely used in the food industry. At present, MTGase from actinomycetes is used and various studies have improved the strain and optimized the growth medium and fermentation process; however, production methods using genetic modification to further improve efficiency are currently being developed. The three-dimensional structure of MTGase has been elucidated and is being used to design variants with higher activity and thermostability in order to expand its applications. MTGase is GRAS-approved, and its safety is well established. In addition to its worldwide use as a means of food modification, MTGase is being applied to other fields, such as biomedicine, textiles, leather processing, and biotechnology.