Immunoassay of in vitro activated human tissue transglutaminase

Tissue transglutaminase (tTG) is a calcium-dependent enzyme that exerts a variety of physiological functions and is involved in various pathoprocesses. To characterize the role of tTG in disease, simple assays are necessary for detection. We developed a highly sensitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) that combines a transamidation step with immunological detection to determine tTG. This assay is based on covalent binding of in vitro activated tTG to N,N′-dimethylated casein and subsequent detection of coupled tTG by specific immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibodies directed against tTG followed by binding of a secondary biotin-labeled antibody. The assay reaches a detection limit of 0.05 ng of tTG/ml. Type 1 and 3 transglutaminases and factor XIII are not detected. By use of this assay, tTG in several cell lines and the stimulatory effect of retinoic acid on tTG expression could be demonstrated. The new assay represents a promising tool for the study of tTG in normal cell physiology and under pathological conditions.