Transglutaminase and its use for food processing

Some characteristics and applications of a transglutaminase, derived from a variant of Streptoverticillium mobaraense, namely microbial transglutaminase (MTGase), are considered. MTGase, mass-produced at low cost by fermentation, catalyses the crosslinking of most food proteins through the formation of an ε-(γ-glutamyl)lysine bond, in the same way as well-known mammalian enzymes. However, MTGase is remarkable because it is calcium independent and its molecular weight is smaller than that of other known enzymes. The results of many studies suggest that MTGase, as well as other transglutaminases, has many potential applications in food processing and in other areas.