Clostridium difficile infection causes antibiotics-associated diarrhea and
pseudomembranous colitis. Major virulence factors of C. difficile are the Rho-glucosylating
toxins TcdA and TcdB. In addition, many, so-called hypervirulent C. difficile strains produce
the binary actin-ADP-ribosylating toxin CDT. CDT causes depolymerization of F-actin and
rearrangement of the actin cytoskeleton. Thereby, many cellular functions, which depend on
actin, are altered. CDT disturbs the dynamic balance between actin and microtubules in …