Microbial Transglutaminase Applications in Food Science
Summary
Microbial transglutaminase (mTGase), an enzyme predominantly derived from selected microbial strains, catalyses the formation of ε-(γ-glutamyl) lysine isopeptide bonds between protein substrates. This cross-linking activity enhances textural and functional properties across a broad spectrum of food matrices. In dairy processing, mTGase fortifies gel structure, reduces syneresis and augments water-holding capacity in yogurts and cheese analogues. In meat systems, it improves sliceability, cohesion and binding of restructured products, enabling reduced reliance on phosphates and other additives. In bakery, the enzyme fosters dough strength and loaf volume through protein network reinforcement. Beyond conventional applications, mTGase plays a role in the development of edible films and plant-based alternatives, offering a sustainable approach to texture and stability modification. Advances in fermentation technology and protein engineering have lowered production costs and expanded substrate specificity, facilitating industrial uptake worldwide. The enzyme’s robustness under diverse processing conditions underpins its versatility, while ongoing research explores its integration with emerging plant proteins and novel food structures to meet evolving consumer demands.
Research from Nature Portfolio
No recent Nature Portfolio content available.
Microbial Transglutaminase Applications in Food Science publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in microbial transglutaminase applications in food science across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
Microbial transglutaminase (mTGase): An enzyme from microbial sources that catalyses covalent cross-linking between glutamine and lysine residues in proteins.
Isopeptide bond: A covalent linkage formed between the γ-carboxamide group of glutamine and the ε-amino group of lysine within proteins.
Casein micelles: Colloidal aggregates of milk proteins whose configuration and size are crucial to gel formation and stability in dairy products.
Syneresis: The expulsion of liquid from a gel network, commonly observed as whey separation in yoghurt and cheese.
Water-holding capacity (WHC): The ability of a protein matrix to retain water under applied stress, reflecting gel stability and texture.
References
- Improved textural properties of transglutaminase treated milk acid gel: Influence of citric acid. Journal of Agriculture and Food Research (2024).
- The effect of the addition of microbial transglutaminase before the fermentation process on the quality characteristics of three types of yogurt. Food Science and Biotechnology (2019).
- Microbial transglutaminase and its application in the food industry. A review. Folia Microbiologica (2013).
About these summaries
This Nature Research Intelligence Topic summary is created with the cited references and a large language model. We take care to ground generated text with facts, and have systems in place to gain human feedback on the overall quality of the process in line with our AI principles. We strive to create accurate and useful summaries for people unfamiliar with the research topic and that supports this goal. These pages are a beta release and will be updated as we learn how best to help people gain value from a research topic summary.
Turn complex research questions into confident strategic decisions
When you're under pressure to set direction, justify investment, or understand your competitive position, you need more than raw data — you need trusted insights you can act on.
Benchmark your performance against global peers using robust, methodologically sound analysis.
Combine quantitative metrics with qualitative expert insight to uncover strengths, gaps and emerging opportunities.
Gain tailored, decision-ready recommendations aligned to your strategic priorities.
Talk to us to learn more about our data dashboards and bespoke strategy reports.
Grow research skills, confidence and careers with training built for every stage of the research lifecycle.
Developed with Nature Portfolio journal Editors and internationally renowned experts. Discover three ways to learn:
Self-paced, online courses in convenient bite-sized units, covering key skills across scientific writing, publishing, grant writing, data analysis, and more.
Expert trainer-led workshops with hands-on exercises and real-time feedback across core research skills, delivered via interactive group sessions.
Editor-led workshops combining core principles in writing and publishing, personalised 1:1 feedback from Nature Portfolio Editors and hands-on exercises.
Explore course catalogues and workshop agendas, enquire about the options or request institutional pricing.