6533b85dfe1ef96bd12be983
RESEARCH PRODUCT
Cytolethal distending toxin (CDT): a bacterial weapon to control host cell proliferation ?
Jean De RyckeEric Oswaldsubject
Cell cycle checkpointCell divisionCytolethal distending toxinCell growthBacterial ToxinsCell cycleG2-M DNA damage checkpointBiologyMicrobiologyMicrobiologyCell biologyCell Line[SDV.MP]Life Sciences [q-bio]/Microbiology and ParasitologyGram-Negative BacteriaGeneticsAnimalsHumansSignal transductionGram-Negative Bacterial InfectionsMolecular BiologyGene[SDV.MP] Life Sciences [q-bio]/Microbiology and ParasitologyCell Divisiondescription
Cytolethal distending toxins (CDT) constitute a family of genetically related bacterial protein toxins able to stop the proliferation of numerous cell lines. This effect is due to their ability to trigger in target cells a signaling pathway that normally prevents the transition between the G2 and the M phase of the cell cycle. Produced by several unrelated Gram-negative mucosa-associated bacterial species, CDTs are determined by a cluster of three adjacent genes (cdtA, cdtB, cdtC) encoding proteins whose respective role is not yet fully elucidated. The CDT-B protein presents sequence homology to several mammalian and bacterial phosphodiesterases, such as DNase I. The putative nuclease activity of CDT-B, together with the activation by CDT of a G2 cell cycle checkpoint, strongly suggests that CDT induces an as yet uncharacterized DNA alteration. However, the effective entry of CDT into cells and subsequent translocation into the nucleus have not yet been demonstrated by direct methods. The relationship between the potential DNA-damaging properties of this original family of toxins and their role as putative virulence factors is discussed.
| year | journal | country | edition | language |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2001-01-01 |