Project

Alterations of the cellular proteome over time due to spontaneous or enzymatic deamidation of glutamine (Gln) and asparagine (Asn) residues is a probable source of aging-related diseases. In particular, deamidation of a conserved glutamine in all GTPases of the Ras superfamily that are essential for cellular GTP turnover, confers to these molecular switches gain-of-function properties that can stimulate oncogenic signaling pathways. The CNF1 toxin produced by pathogenic Escherichia coli, a prevalent resident in human gut microbiota, is an example of a bacterial factor with the potential to cause somatic “oncogenic mutation” of Rho GTPases through deamidation. Development of holistic approaches for personalized medicine to monitor healthy microbiota could led to improved public health and increased lifespans.