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Review
. 2014 Jan 7;6(1):270-82.
doi: 10.3390/toxins6010270.

The E. coli CNF1 as a pioneering therapy for the central nervous system diseases

Sara Travaglione  1 , Stefano Loizzo  2 , Giulia Ballan  3 , Carla Fiorentini  4 , Alessia Fabbri  5
Affiliations
Review

The E. coli CNF1 as a pioneering therapy for the central nervous system diseases

Sara Travaglione et al. Toxins (Basel). .

Abstract

The Cytotoxic Necrotizing Factor 1 (CNF1), a protein toxin from pathogenic E. coli, modulates the Rho GTPases, thus, directing the organization of the actin cytoskeleton. In the nervous system, the Rho GTPases play a key role in several processes, controlling the morphogenesis of dendritic spines and synaptic plasticity in brain tissues. This review is focused on the peculiar property of CNF1 to enhance brain plasticity in in vivo animal models of central nervous system (CNS) diseases, and on its possible application in therapy.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Astrocytes challenged with CNF1 provide a more efficient substrate to neuronal growth. F-actin (upper panels) and MAP-2 (lower panels) staining of hippocampal neurons growing on CNF1-treated astrocytes. To note that hippocampal neurons, growing on CNF1-treated astrocytes, produce a much more abundant dendritic tree, with a richer branching, creating a confluent network. Bar represents 50 μm.
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