Shen, Shiqian2018-09-182018-09-1820152015(OCoLC)927109815(OCoLC)ocn927109815https://hdl.handle.net/2144/31301Thesis (MSD) --Boston University, Henry M. Goldman School of Dental Medicine, 2015 (Department of Molecular and Cell Biology).Includes bibliography: leaves 46-50.Celiac disease (CD) is an autoimmune disorder characterized by enteropathy caused by ingested gluten. Human transglutaminase 2 (TG 2) localized in the lamina propria of the small intestine modifies gluten by deamidating glutamine residues, which enhances gluten binding to T-cell receptors and downstream inflammatory immune responses. Many other human TGs and microbial transglutaminases (MTGs) share a similar catalytic activity with TG2. This study aimed to investigate the presence and activities of oral TGs from both human and microbial origins in whole saliva (WS) and dental plaque of healthy individuals. It also aimed to establish a method and positive control to detect MTG activity from oral bacteria. [TRUNCATED]en-USThis work is being made available in OpenBU by permission of its author, and is available for research purposes only. All rights are reserved to the author.Celiac diseaseTransglutaminasesThesis/Dissertation