title: Cytolethal distending toxin: creating a gap in the cell cycle.
abstract: Cytolethal distending toxin (CDT) is a novel bacterial toxin that is produced by a variety of pathogenic bacteria. The mechanism of cytotoxicity of CDT is unique in that it enters into eukaryotic cells and breaks double-stranded DNA. This initiates the cell's own DNA damage-response mechanisms, resulting in the arrest of the cell cycle at the G2/M boundary. Affected cells enlarge until they finally undergo programmed cell death. This review encompasses recent work on CDT and focuses on the molecular mechanisms used by this toxin to block cell-cycle progression, the benefit to the bacterium of possession of this toxin and the clinical relevance of intoxication.
authors.affiliation: Division of Microbial Diseases, Eastman Dental Institute, University College London, 256 Gray's Inn Road, London WC1X 8LD, UK.
authors.forename: Wendy
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Heywood
authors.affiliation: Division of Microbial Diseases, Eastman Dental Institute, University College London, 256 Gray's Inn Road, London WC1X 8LD, UK.
authors.forename: Brian
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Henderson
authors.affiliation: Division of Microbial Diseases, Eastman Dental Institute, University College London, 256 Gray's Inn Road, London WC1X 8LD, UK.
authors.forename: Sean P
authors.initials: SP
authors.lastname: Nair
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001424:Bacterial Infections / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology; D001427:Bacterial Toxins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism / Q000633:toxicity*; D002453:Cell Cycle / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D002460:Cell Line; D006801:Humans; D007700:Kinetics
chemical_list: D001427:Bacterial Toxins; C067044:cytolethal distending toxin