In addition, other E. coli proteins HflK, HflC and HflD also influence lysogeny by acting upon CII Among these, HflD (22.9 kDa), a peripheral membrane protein that is exposed towards the cytoplasm, interacts with CII and decreases the frequency

of lysogenization of lambda by stimulating the degradation of CII In this study, we show that in addition to helping CII degradation, HflD inhibits the DNA binding by CII, thereby inhibiting CII-dependent transcription activation. From biochemical, OSI-744 mouse biophysical and modelling studies we also suggest that HflD-CII interaction takes place through the Cys31-accessible surface area of monomeric HflD, which binds to tetrameric CII as a 1:1 complex. (C) 2009 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.”
“In late 2008, bluetongue virus (BTV) serotype 6 (BTV-6), which had never occurred in Europe before, was first detected in the Netherlands and Germany.

While the origin of the virus remains unknown, the prevalence of infections in cattle was investigated in a virological (N=28,658) and serological (N=2075) field survey in Lower Saxony, where 45 cases confined to the district Grafschaft Bentheim were found. Blood from affected animals was used for the experimental infection of three cattle with different BTV antibody status, leading to sustained viraemia in one animal naive for BTV. Of two animals that had detectable antibodies against BTV serotype 8, NU7441 concentration one became transiently infected and seroconverted for BTV-6 while the other did not react. In conclusion, while only a very limited spread of BTV-6 could be observed in the field, experimental infection of cattle did not AZD9291 show substantial differences of the course of infection in comparison to other BTV serotypes. (C) 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.”
“Epidemiological

data support the concept that phenols and polyphenols in diet are safe and nontoxic, and have long-lasting beneficial effects on human health. The potential target for complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) research has been on the discovery of natural compounds that can be used in the prevention and treatment of cancer. Propolis is one of the richest sources of plant phenolics (flavonoids and phenolic acids). The ethanolic extract of propolis (EEP) and its polyphenols possess immunomodulatory, chemopreventive, and antitumor effects. Tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis inducing ligand (TRAIL) is a naturally occurring anticancer agent that preferentially induces apoptosis in cancer cells and is not toxic to normal cells. Endogenous TRAIL plays a significant role in immunosurveillance and defense against cancer cells. However, as more tumor cells are reported to be resistant to TRAIL-mediated death, it is important to develop new strategies to overcome this resistance. EEP and polyphenols isolated from propolis have been shown to sensitize cancer cells to TRAIL-induced apoptosis.