Transglutaminase Gluten Celiac Inflammation Autoimmunity
The point of this post is that the intestines produce an enzyme, transglutaminase (TG) that normally protects the gut from toxic plant proteins, such as grain gluten, but modern food processing and antibiotics corrupt digestion of gluten to produce intestinal inflammation and a series of related autoimmune diseases including celiac, thyroiditis, diabetes, baldness and atherosclerosis. Transglutaminase Links Proteins Enzymatically Transglutaminase is a ubiquitous enzyme produced in the intestines, thyroid, heart, skin, hair follicles, etc. This enzyme attaches to a protein (TG + ProA ~~> TG-ProA) via amino groups extending from some of the proteins amino acids, e.g. lysine or glutamine, and then the enzyme replaces itself by another protein leaving the two proteins crosslinked (TG-ProA + ProB ~~> TG + ProA-ProB). Another alternative reaction is to leave the original glutamine without its amino group to yield glutamic acid residues. Linking Proteins Makes Connectiv...