The properties of surimi gels from threadfin-bream and pollack surimi set a
t 30 degrees C or 45 degrees C with microbial transglutaminase (MTGase) fro
m Streptoverticillium ladakanum were determined. The optimal amounts of MTG
ase and setting conditions were: 0.3 unit/g surimi either at 30 degrees C f
or 90 min or at 45 degrees C for 20 min for threadfin-bream, and 0.2 unit/g
surimi at 30 degrees C for 60 min for pollack. The strength of golden thre
adfin-bream surimi gels with 0.35 unit MTGase set at 30 degrees C for 90 mi
n or 45 degrees C for 20 min was 3400 g x cm, almost 3-fold of the control.
SDS-PAGE analyses indicated that inter- and/or intramolecular cross-linkin
g formed in the myosin heavy chain of MTGase-containing surimi gels.