RhoA is reportedly involved in signal transducers and activators of transcription (STAT)-
dependent transcription. However, the pathway connecting the GTPase and STAT signaling
has not been characterized. Here, we made use of bacterial toxins, which directly activate
Rho GTPases to analyze this pathway. Cytotoxic necrotizing factors (CNFs) are produced by
pathogenic Escherichia coli strains and by Yersinia pseudotuberculosis. They activate small
GTPases of the Rho family by deamidation of a glutamine, which is crucial for GTP …