Y. Kumazawa et al., FORMATION OF EPSILON-(GAMMA-GLUTAMYL) LYSINE CROSS-LINK IN CURED HORSE MACKEREL MEAT INDUCED BY DRYING, Journal of food science, 58(5), 1993, pp. 1062
Block meat cut from horse mackerel was cured in 3M NaCl (pH 7.5) in th
e presence and absence of 5 mM EDTA for 3 hr at 4-degrees-C. During dr
ying at 30-degrees-C, changes in the myosin heavy chain and epsilon-(g
amma-glutamyl)lysine isopeptide bonds in the meat were observed. After
20 hr drying, cross-linking of the myosin heavy chain was observed an
d epsilon(gamma-glutamyl)lysine bonds increased eight fold. These chan
ges were inhibited in the presence of EDTA. These results suggested th
at transglutaminase was probably involved in the cross-linking reactio
n of the myosin heavy chain in the manufacture of dried fish (''Himono
'' in Japan).