Enzyme opens for business

Celiac disease, a condition that damages the small intestine and prevents nutrient absorption, is an autommume reaction both to an external substance, the protein gluten in wheat, rye, and barley, and an internal enzyme called transglutaminase 2. A new structure of the enzyme sheds some light on that interaction between dietary gluten and the enzyme and may even point the way to developing treatments for the disease. Transglutaminase adopts an open conformation when it binds gluten, and it is this form of the enzyme that is believed to initiate an autoimmune reaction in susceptible individuals.