Toxins 2010, 2(2), 283-296; doi:10.3390/toxins2020282
Article

Escherichia coli Cytotoxic Necrotizing Factor 1 (CNF1): Toxin Biology, in Vivo Applications and Therapeutic Potential

Alessia Fabbri* email, Sara Travaglioneemail and Carla Fiorentiniemail
Department of Therapeutic Research and Medicines Evaluation, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Viale Regina Elena 299, 00161 Roma, Italy
* Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Received: 4 February 2010; in revised form: 20 February 2010 / Accepted: 20 February 2010 / Published: 23 February 2010
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Bacterial Protein Toxins)
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Abstract: CNF1 is a protein toxin produced by certain pathogenic strains of Escherichia coli. It permanently activates the regulatory Rho, Rac, and Cdc42 GTPases in eukaryotic cells, by deamidation of a glutamine residue. This modification promotes new activities in cells, such as gene transcription, cell proliferation and survival. Since the Rho GTPases play a pivotal role also in several processes in vivo, the potentiality of CNF1 to act as a new pharmacological tool has been explored in experimental animals and in diverse pathological contexts. In this review, we give an update overview on the potential in vivo applications of CNF1.
Keywords: CNF1; Escherichia coli; memory; vaccine adjuvant; drug delivery agent; pain

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MDPI and ACS Style

Fabbri, A.; Travaglione, S.; Fiorentini, C. Escherichia coli Cytotoxic Necrotizing Factor 1 (CNF1): Toxin Biology, in Vivo Applications and Therapeutic Potential. Toxins 2010, 2, 283-296.

AMA Style

Fabbri A, Travaglione S, Fiorentini C. Escherichia coli Cytotoxic Necrotizing Factor 1 (CNF1): Toxin Biology, in Vivo Applications and Therapeutic Potential. Toxins. 2010; 2(2):283-296.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Fabbri, Alessia; Travaglione, Sara; Fiorentini, Carla. 2010. "Escherichia coli Cytotoxic Necrotizing Factor 1 (CNF1): Toxin Biology, in Vivo Applications and Therapeutic Potential." Toxins 2, no. 2: 283-296.

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