This family consists of several bacterial cytotoxic necrotizing factor proteins as well as related dermonecrotic toxin (DNT) from Bordetella species. Cytotoxic necrotizing factor 1 (CNF1) causes necrosis of rabbit skin and re-organisation of the actin cytoskeleton in cultured cells [1]. Bordetella dermonecrotic toxin (DNT) stimulates the assembly of actin stress fibres and focal adhesions by deamidating or polyaminating Gln63 of the small GTPase Rho. DNT is an A-B toxin which is composed of an N-terminal receptor-binding (B) domain and a C-terminal enzymatically active (A) domain [2].

1: Expression of cnf1 by Escherichia coli J96 involves a large upstream DNA region including the hlyCABD operon, and is regulated by the RfaH protein. Landraud L, Gibert M, Popoff MR, Boquet P, Gauthier M; Mol Microbiol 2003;47:1653-1667. PMID:12622819

2: Identification of a receptor-binding domain of Bordetella dermonecrotic toxin. Matsuzawa T, Kashimoto T, Katahira J, Horiguchi Y; Infect Immun 2002;70:3427-3432. PMID:12065482

3: Structure of the Rho-activating domain of Escherichia coli cytotoxic necrotizing factor 1. Buetow L, Flatau G, Chiu K, Boquet P, Ghosh P; Nat Struct Biol 2001;8:584-588. PMID:11427886