Proteomic profiling of microbial transglutaminase-induced polymerization of milk proteins

Microbial transglutaminase (MTGase)-induced polymerization of individual milk proteins during incubation was investigated using a proteomics-based approach. The addition of MTGase (0.25-2.0 units/mL) caused the milk proteins to polymerize after a 3-h incubation period. Sodium dodecyl sulfate-PAGE analysis showed that the total intensities of the protein bands that corresponded to α(S)-casein, β-casein, and κ-casein decreased from 8,245.6, 6,677.2, and 586.6 arbitrary units to 1,911.7, 0.0, and 66.2 arbitrary units, respectively. Components with higher molecular weights were observed, and the intensity of these proteins increased after 3h of incubation. These results support that inter- or intramolecular crosslinking occurred in the casein proteins of MTGase-treated milk. Two-dimensional electrophoresis analysis indicated that isomers of β-casein, κ-casein, a fraction of serum albumin, α(S1)-casein, α(S2)-casein, β-lactoglobulin, and α-lactalbumin in the milk were polymerized following incubation with MTGase. In addition, MTGase-induced polymerization occurred earlier for β-casein and κ-casein isomers than for other milk proteins.