Table 1.

Overview of bacterial virulence factors degraded by the serine protease activity of LF.

Bacteria	Virulence factor	Function	LF origin	Effect	Ref.
Haemophilus influenzae	Hap adhesin (AT protein)	Promotion of intimate interaction with human epithelium	(Recombinant) apo-hLF	Decreased adherence to Chang cells	(16)
	IgA1 protease preprotein (AT protein)	Cleavage and inactivation of human IgA1	(Recombinant) apo-hLF	Unknown	(16)
Neisseria meningitidis	NHBA	Bacterial adhesion to epithelial cells, biofilm formation, bacterial survival, vascular leakage	hLF	Unknown	(63, 64)
EPEC	EspB (T3SS protein)	Attaching and effacing (A/E) lesion formation	(Recombinant) apo-hLF	Blocking of EPEC adherence to HEp-2 cells Blocking of EPEC-induced hemolysis Induction of EPEC actin polymerisation in HEp-2 cells	(32)
EHEC	EspAEspB(T3SS protein)	Attaching and effacing (A/E) lesion formation	holo-bLF, holo-hLF	Inhibition of EHEC attachment to Caco-2 cells	(65)
ETEC	FaeG	Adherence to small intestinal enterocytes	Apo-bLF, (recombinant) apo-pLF	Decreased ETEC adherence to IPEC-J2 cells	(15)
ETEC/STEC	FedAFedF	Adherence to small intestinal enterocytes	Apo-bLF, (recombinant) apo-pLF	Decreased ETEC/STEC adherence to isolated porcine villi	(15)
ETEC	Flagellin	Motility of the pathogen	Apo-bLF, (recombinant) apo-pLF	Decreased ETEC motility	(15)
EHEC	Stx2 receptor-binding B subunit	Binding to cellular Stx2 receptor	Apo-bLF	Potential prevention of Stx2 binding to cellular receptor and subsequent internalisation	(38)

AT, autotransporter; bLF, bovine lactoferrin; EHEC, Enterohaemorrhagic Escherichia coli; EPEC, Enteropathogenic Escherichia coli; ETEC, Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli; hLF, human lactoferrin; NHBA, Neisserial Heparin Binding Antigen; pLF, porcine lactoferrin; Stx2, Shiga toxin 2; STEC, Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli; T3SS, Type III secretion system.