ABSTRACT
Transglutaminase is an calcium depedent enzyme involved in various biological events such as cell growth and proliferation, apoptosis, fertilization, embryogenesis, and carcinogenesis. Biochemically it can be detected in many organs but no systemic in situ localization has been carried out so far. Here we report the immunohistochemical localization of TG1 in rat tissue using newly purificated polyclonal anti-goat traglutaminase 1 antibody. The presence of TG 1 can be demonstrated in the kidney, liver, spleen, lung, esophagus, trachea, small intestine, testis, cerebellum of the rat. The strong immunoreactivity can be demonstrated in proximal convoluted tubule and collecting duct of the kidney, central vein of the liver, esophagus of the lamina propria, epithelium and cartilage of the trachea., submucosa and Paneth cell of the small intestine, Purkinje cell of the cerebellum. Among organs, there was no relationship between the immunoreactivity and histologic similarity. The functional implications of these findings are presently unknown. However, based on its wide distribution of the tissue certain essential role of this enzyme in survival of organism may be suggested.