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Protein / target

Protein-glutamine gamma-glutamyltransferase 2

Encoded byTGM2P21980Homo sapiensSwiss-Prot
Small-molecule tractable
Druggability
Structure with Ligand
1
Research papers

Protein at a glance

Biological role

Protein-glutamine gamma-glutamyltransferase

Strongest disease association

Placental abruption

Via encoding gene TGM2 · Genetic evidence · score 0.47

Research activity

Emerging research

1 papers · latest 2019

Derived from structured UniProt, Open Targets and literature data on this page.

Protein profile

UniProt 2026_02

Canonical identity and biological annotation from UniProt.

Function overview

Calcium-dependent acyltransferase that catalyzes the formation of covalent bonds between peptide-bound glutamine and various primary amines, such as gamma-amino group of peptide-bound lysine, or mono- and polyamines, thereby producing cross-linked or aminated proteins, respectively.

View complete UniProt function annotation

Calcium-dependent acyltransferase that catalyzes the formation of covalent bonds between peptide-bound glutamine and various primary amines, such as gamma-amino group of peptide-bound lysine, or mono- and polyamines, thereby producing cross-linked or aminated proteins, respectively (PubMed:23941696, PubMed:31991788, PubMed:9252372). Involved in many biological processes, such as bone development, angiogenesis, wound healing, cellular differentiation, chromatin modification and apoptosis (PubMed:1683874, PubMed:27270573, PubMed:28198360, PubMed:7935379, PubMed:9252372). Acts as a protein-glutamine gamma-glutamyltransferase by mediating the cross-linking of proteins, such as ACO2, HSPB6, FN1, HMGB1, RAP1GDS1, SLC25A4/ANT1, SPP1 and WDR54 (PubMed:23941696, PubMed:24349085, PubMed:29618516, PubMed:30458214). Under physiological conditions, the protein cross-linking activity is inhibited by GTP; inhibition is relieved by Ca(2+) in response to various stresses (PubMed:18092889, PubMed:7592956, PubMed:7649299). When secreted, catalyzes cross-linking of proteins of the extracellular matrix, such as FN1 and SPP1 resulting in the formation of scaffolds (PubMed:12506096). Plays a key role during apoptosis, both by (1) promoting the cross-linking of cytoskeletal proteins resulting in condensation of the cytoplasm, and by (2) mediating cross-linking proteins of the extracellular matrix, resulting in the irreversible formation of scaffolds that stabilize the integrity of the dying cells before their clearance by phagocytosis, thereby preventing the leakage of harmful intracellular components (PubMed:7935379, PubMed:9252372). In addition to protein cross-linking, can use different monoamine substrates to catalyze a vast array of protein post-translational modifications: mediates aminylation of serotonin, dopamine, noradrenaline or histamine into glutamine residues of target proteins to generate protein serotonylation, dopaminylation, noradrenalinylation or histaminylation, respectively (PubMed:23797785, PubMed:30867594). Mediates protein serotonylation of small GTPases during activation and aggregation of platelets, leading to constitutive activation of these GTPases (By similarity). Plays a key role in chromatin organization by mediating serotonylation and dopaminylation of histone H3 (PubMed:30867594, PubMed:32273471). Catalyzes serotonylation of 'Gln-5' of histone H3 (H3Q5ser) during serotonergic neuron differentiation, thereby facilitating transcription (PubMed:30867594). Acts as a mediator of neurotransmission-independent role of nuclear dopamine in ventral tegmental area (VTA) neurons: catalyzes dopaminylation of 'Gln-5' of histone H3 (H3Q5dop), thereby regulating relapse-related transcriptional plasticity in the reward system (PubMed:32273471). Regulates vein remodeling by mediating serotonylation and subsequent inactivation of ATP2A2/SERCA2 (By similarity). Also acts as a protein deamidase by mediating the side chain deamidation of specific glutamine residues of proteins to glutamate (PubMed:20547769, PubMed:9623982). Catalyzes specific deamidation of protein gliadin, a component of wheat gluten in the diet (PubMed:9623982). May also act as an isopeptidase cleaving the previously formed cross-links (PubMed:26250429, PubMed:27131890). Also able to participate in signaling pathways independently of its acyltransferase activity: acts as a signal transducer in alpha-1 adrenergic receptor-mediated stimulation of phospholipase C-delta (PLCD) activity and is required for coupling alpha-1 adrenergic agonists to the stimulation of phosphoinositide lipid metabolism (PubMed:8943303)

Subcellular location

Cytoplasm, cytosolNucleusChromosomeSecreted, extracellular space, extracellular matrixCell membraneMitochondrionCytoplasm, perinuclear region
Domains and Gene Ontology detail (40)

Gene Ontology

  • Cchromatin
  • Ccytosol
  • Cendoplasmic reticulum
  • Cextracellular exosome
  • Cextracellular matrix
  • Cfocal adhesion
  • Cmitochondrion
  • Cnucleosome
  • Cnucleus
  • Cperinuclear region of cytoplasm
  • Cplasma membrane
  • Fcalcium ion binding

687 aa · 77 kDa · 3 isoforms

Biological roles

What this protein does, drawn together from its UniProt function, Gene Ontology terms and Reactome pathways.

Cell adhesionUniProt · GOMetabolic enzyme activityUniProt · GOProteolysisGOApoptosis & cell deathGO
View supporting evidence

Cell adhesion

  • ·Calcium-dependent acyltransferase that catalyzes the formation of covalent bonds between…
  • ·Secreted, extracellular space, extracellular matrix
  • ·extracellular matrix
  • ·extracellular matrix organization

Metabolic enzyme activity

  • ·Calcium-dependent acyltransferase that catalyzes the formation of covalent bonds between…
  • ·histone dopaminyltransferase activity
  • ·histone serotonyltransferase activity
  • ·peptide histaminyltransferase activity

Proteolysis

  • ·peptidase activity
  • ·proteolysis

Apoptosis & cell death

  • ·positive regulation of apoptotic process
  • ·regulation of apoptotic process

Concepts derived from UniProt GO Reactome — each badge above shows which sources supported that role.

Translational evidence

Open Targets 26

Why this target matters therapeutically, strongest evidence first. Disease associations are gene-level (via the gene that encodes this protein) and open into the full confidence synthesis; the development universe, tractability and safety annotations are target-level, from Open Targets.

Strongest disease associations · via encoding gene TGM2

Gene-level evidence surfaced through the gene TGM2that encodes this protein — not a direct protein–disease relationship. Ranked by Forefront's causal-directness weighting, so genetically- and clinically-evidenced diseases lead over ones that merely share the literature.

Placental abruption
0.47Limited support

Genetic evidence dominant · Open Targets 0.29

Dermatitis, Seborrheic
0.47Limited support

Genetic evidence dominant · Open Targets 0.29

Neurodegenerative Diseases
0.34Preliminary

Pathway evidence dominant · Open Targets 0.49 · no direct causal or clinical evidence

Alzheimer's Disease
0.24Preliminary

Pathway evidence dominant · Open Targets 0.23 · no direct causal or clinical evidence

Autoimmune disorder of central nervous system
0.21Preliminary

Pathway evidence dominant · Open Targets 0.32 · no direct causal or clinical evidence

View evidence synthesis (5)
Placental abruptionLimited support
0.47
agreement 0.350.59
Genetic100%

Open Targets aggregate 0.29 · 1 independent evidence family

Dermatitis, SeborrheicLimited support
0.47
agreement 0.330.61
Genetic99%Literature1%

Open Targets aggregate 0.29 · 2 independent evidence families

Neurodegenerative DiseasesPreliminary
0.34
agreement 0.170.52
Pathway90%Literature10%

Open Targets aggregate 0.49 · 2 independent evidence families · no direct causal or clinical evidence

Alzheimer's DiseasePreliminary
0.24
agreement 0.060.42
Pathway52%Literature48%

Open Targets aggregate 0.23 · 2 independent evidence families · no direct causal or clinical evidence

Autoimmune disorder of central nervous systemPreliminary
0.21
agreement 0.000.44
Pathway100%

Open Targets aggregate 0.32 · 1 independent evidence family · no direct causal or clinical evidence

This ranking differs from Open Targets' own: re-weighting moves genetically-evidenced diseases above more heavily co-mentioned ones. The evidence agreement range shows how closely the independent evidence families agree — it is not a statistical confidence interval, and nothing here is fitted to outcome data. Derived from Open Targets evidence types under Forefront weighting; the per-type scores above show the calculation.

Show all associations
Neurodegenerative Diseases0.49
Autoimmune disorder of central nervous system0.32
Placental abruption0.29
Dermatitis, Seborrheic0.29
Alzheimer's Disease0.23
Parkinson's Disease0.22

Tractability

Small moleculesEmerging

Feasibility evidence (structure with ligand and high-quality ligand) — no clinical-stage drug of this modality recorded.

AntibodiesEmerging

Feasibility evidence (uniprot loc high conf and go cc high conf) — no clinical-stage drug of this modality recorded.

Protein degradersEmerging

Feasibility evidence (database ubiquitination and half-life data) — no clinical-stage drug of this modality recorded.

View underlying tractability evidence (11)
SM · Structure with LigandSM · High-Quality LigandSM · High-Quality PocketSM · Druggable FamilyAB · UniProt loc high confAB · GO CC high confAB · UniProt loc med confAB · Human Protein Atlas locPR · Database UbiquitinationPR · Half-life DataPR · Small Molecule Binder

Raw Open Targets tractability assessment buckets, by modality.

Research activity

1 papers · to 2019

Papers linked directly to this protein. This is the protein's own literature — descriptor-derived papers are kept separate below.

Most cited

Antiga E · Frontiers in immunology · 2019

Recent

Dermatitis Herpetiformis: Novel Perspectives.

Antiga E · Frontiers in immunology · 2019

Europe PMC papers linked directly to this protein.