Crystallization and preliminary X-ray crystallographic studies of transglutaminase 2 in complex with Ca2+.

Transglutaminase 2 (TG2) is a multi-functional protein that has been implicated in a variety of physiological cellular activities, including apoptosis, angiogenesis and cellular differentiation. Two functions of TG2 are protein cross-linking and GTP hydrolysis activities. The protein cross-linking activity of TG2 is positively controlled by calcium; however, the molecular mechanism of its Ca(2+)-dependent activity is completely unknown. In the present study, full-length human TG2 in complex with Ca(2+) was overexpressed, purified and crystallized at 20°C as a first step towards elucidating this mechanism. X-ray diffraction data were collected to a resolution of 3.4 Å from a crystal belonging to space group C2221, with unit-cell parameters a = 133.08, b = 216.30, c = 166.26 Å. Based on these data, the asymmetric unit was estimated to contain three molecules.