Complexation of fibronectin with tissue transglutaminase

Previous work Lorand, L., Dailey, J. E., & Turner, P. M. (1988) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 85, 1057-1059] showed that fibronectin might serve as a specific carrier for transglutaminases accidentally discharged from erythrocytes or other cells into plasma. In the present study we examined the association of these proteins in purified systems. Complexation was readily demonstrable by nondenaturing electrophoresis, using dansylcadaverine-dependent activity staining as well as immunoblotting procedures, and also by HPLC gel filtration. The results indicate a stoichiometry of 2:1 for the binding of the human erythrocyte transglutaminase (80K) to human plasma fibronectin (440K). The attachment is noncovalent in nature and does not involve cross-linking of the proteins either to themselves or to each other. Binding occurs in the absence of Ca2+, suggesting that a domain on the transglutaminase molecule other than the catalytic site is needed for complexation with fibronectin. Limited proteolysis with chymotrypsin for delineating the relevant region in fibronectin yielded two gelatin- (collagen) binding fragments (56K and 46K), each displaying affinity for transglutaminase. Moreover, these fragments--like intact fibronectin--bound erythrocyte transglutaminase and gelatin simultaneously in ternary complexes.