Protein also known as:
Gamma-glutamyltransferase 2.
Cleaved into:
Gamma-glutamyltranspeptidase 2 heavy chain; Gamma-glutamyltranspeptidase 2 light chain.
Initiates extracellular glutathione (GSH) breakdown; catalyzes the transfer of the glutamyl moiety of glutathione to amino acids and dipeptide acceptors (By similarity).
Assays for gamma-glutamyl transferase (GGT1, EC 2.3.2.2) activity in blood are widely used in a clinical setting to measure tissue damage. The well-characterized GGT1 is an extracellular enzyme that is anchored to the plasma membrane of cells. There, it hydrolyzes and transfers gamma-glutamyl moieties from glutathione and other gamma-glutamyl compounds to acceptors. As such, it has a critical function in the metabolism of glutathione and in the conversion of the leukotriene LTC4 to LTD4. GGT deficiency in man is rare and for the few patients reported to date, mutations in GGT1 have not been described. These patients do secrete glutathione in urine and fail to metabolize LTC4. Earlier pre-genome investigations had indicated that besides GGT1, the human genome contains additional related genes or sequences. These sequences were given multiple different names, leading to inconsistencies and confusion. Here we systematically evaluated all human sequences related to GGT1 using genomic and cDNA database searches and identified thirteen genes belonging to the extended GGT family, of which at least six appear to be active. In collaboration with the HUGO Gene Nomenclature Committee (HGNC) we have designated possible active genes with nucleotide or amino acid sequence similarity to GGT1, as GGT5 (formerly GGL, GGTLA1/GGT-rel), GGT6 (formerly rat ggt6 homologue) and GGT7 (formerly GGTL3, GGT4). Two loci have the potential to encode only the light chain portion of GGT and have now been designated GGTLC1 (formerly GGTL6, GGTLA4) and GGTLC2. Of the five full-length genes, three lack of significant nucleotide sequence homology but have significant (GGT5, GGT7) or very limited (GGT6) amino acid similarity to GGT1 and belong to separate families. GGT6 and GGT7 have not yet been described, raising the possibility that leukotriene synthesis, glutathione metabolism or gamma-glutamyl transfer is regulated by their, as of yet uncharacterized, enzymatic activities. In view of the widespread clinical use of assays that measure gamma-glutamyl transfer activity, this would appear to be of significant interest.
Catalysis of the hydrolysis of various bonds, e.g. C-O, C-N, C-C, phosphoric anhydride bonds, etc. Hydrolase is the systematic name for any enzyme of EC class 3.
The chemical reactions and pathways resulting in the formation of glutathione, the tripeptide glutamylcysteinylglycine, which acts as a coenzyme for some enzymes and as an antioxidant in the protection of sulfhydryl groups in enzymes and other proteins.
The chemical reactions and pathways involving glutathione, the tripeptide glutamylcysteinylglycine, which acts as a coenzyme for some enzymes and as an antioxidant in the protection of sulfhydryl groups in enzymes and other proteins; it has a specific role in the reduction of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and oxidized ascorbate, and it participates in the gamma-glutamyl cycle.
Assays for gamma-glutamyl transferase (GGT1, EC 2.3.2.2) activity in blood are widely used in a clinical setting to measure tissue damage. The well-characterized GGT1 is an extracellular enzyme that is anchored to the plasma membrane of cells. There, it hydrolyzes and transfers gamma-glutamyl moieties from glutathione and other gamma-glutamyl compounds to acceptors. As such, it has a critical function in the metabolism of glutathione and in the conversion of the leukotriene LTC4 to LTD4. GGT deficiency in man is rare and for the few patients reported to date, mutations in GGT1 have not been described. These patients do secrete glutathione in urine and fail to metabolize LTC4. Earlier pre-genome investigations had indicated that besides GGT1, the human genome contains additional related genes or sequences. These sequences were given multiple different names, leading to inconsistencies and confusion. Here we systematically evaluated all human sequences related to GGT1 using genomic and cDNA database searches and identified thirteen genes belonging to the extended GGT family, of which at least six appear to be active. In collaboration with the HUGO Gene Nomenclature Committee (HGNC) we have designated possible active genes with nucleotide or amino acid sequence similarity to GGT1, as GGT5 (formerly GGL, GGTLA1/GGT-rel), GGT6 (formerly rat ggt6 homologue) and GGT7 (formerly GGTL3, GGT4). Two loci have the potential to encode only the light chain portion of GGT and have now been designated GGTLC1 (formerly GGTL6, GGTLA4) and GGTLC2. Of the five full-length genes, three lack of significant nucleotide sequence homology but have significant (GGT5, GGT7) or very limited (GGT6) amino acid similarity to GGT1 and belong to separate families. GGT6 and GGT7 have not yet been described, raising the possibility that leukotriene synthesis, glutathione metabolism or gamma-glutamyl transfer is regulated by their, as of yet uncharacterized, enzymatic activities. In view of the widespread clinical use of assays that measure gamma-glutamyl transfer activity, this would appear to be of significant interest.
The chemical reactions and pathways resulting in the formation of leukotriene, a pharmacologically active substance derived from a polyunsaturated fatty acid, such as arachidonic acid.
ISSOrtholog Curator
Enzymatic activity
This protein acts as an enzyme. It is known to catalyze the following reactions
EC 2.3.2.2: A (5-L-glutamyl)-peptide + an amino acid ⇄ a peptide + a 5-L-glutamyl amino acid.
Protein involved in the synthesis of the tripeptide glutathione (Gamma-Glu-Cys-Gly). Glutathione sulphydryl group is kept largely in the reduced state; this allows it to act as a sulphydryl buffer, reducing any disulphide bonds formed within cytoplasmic proteins to cysteines. Glutathione is also important as a cofactor for the enzyme glutathione peroxidase, in the uptake of amino acids and participates in leucotriene synthesis. Glutathione contains an unusual peptide linkage between the carboxyl group of the glutamate side chain and the amine group of cysteine.
Enzyme which catalyzes hydrolysis reaction, i.e. the addition of the hydrogen and hydroxyl ions of water to a molecule with its consequent splitting into two or more simpler molecules.
A reference proteome is a set of protein sequences derived from a complete proteome which constitutes a defined standard for a particular user community. Reference proteomes are manually defined according to a number of criteria. They cover the proteomes of well- studied model organisms and other proteomes of interest for biomedical and biotechnological research. Reference proteomes have been selected to provide broad coverage of the tree of life, and constitute a representative cross-section of the taxonomic diversity to be found within UniProtKB.