The mixture was transferred to an RNeasy

spin column plac

The mixture was transferred to an RNeasy

spin column placed in a 2 ml collection tube. The flow-through was discarded after a 15 s centrifugation at 8000 × g. The column was washed with 700 μl of Buffer RW1 and then with 500 μl of Buffer RPE twice. Total RNA was eluted from the column with 30 μl of RNase-free water and quantified by spectrophotometer. Microarray analysis The Affymetrix GeneChip® RG-U34A, containing 8799 rat genes and EST sequences, was used for the microarray analysis. Briefly, 2.5 μg of total RNA from each rat was reversely transcribed, using the standard 3′IVT protocol as described previously [24], and hybridized to a GeneChip. A total of 12 GeneChips were used, four for each sample group from Normal, Dex, and Dex-Pc rats. The data were first analyzed with Microarray Suite version 5.0 (MAS 5.0) using Affymetrix default analysis check details Nutlin3a settings and global scaling as normalization method. The trimmed mean target intensity of

each array was arbitrarily set to 1000. Comparisons of global gene expression and identification of genes that were up- or down-regulated by dexamethasone treatment or by P. carinii infection in AMs from the three different groups of rats (Normal, Dex, and Dex-Pc) were performed with the Partek Genomic Suite 6.4 Software (Partek Inc., St. Louis, MO). Identification of cellular functions affected by dexamethasone or Pneumocystis infection was achieved by using the Ingenuity Selleckchem LY2835219 Pathway Analysis (IPA) software (Ingenuity Systems Inc. Redwood City, CA). The microarray data generated in this study have been deposited in the Gene Expression Omnibus with the accession number GSE20149. Real-time RT-PCR Approximately 0.2 μg of each total AM RNA sample

was reversely transcribed to cDNA using the iScript cDNA synthesis kit (Bio-Rad, Hercules, CA) and random primers in a total reaction volume of 20 μl. The reaction mixtures were incubated at 25°C for 5 min, 42°C for 30 min, science and 85°C for 5 min. Of this, 2 μl of each cDNA product was used for quantitative PCR analysis. Real-time RT-PCRs for various target genes were performed using the Assays-on-Demand™ gene expression kits. Each kit contained two unlabeled PCR primers and a FAM™-labeled TaqMan probe (Applied Biosystems, Foster City, CA). Since the expression of the ribosomal protein S8 (RPS8) is not affected by Pneumocystis infection, RPS8 mRNAs were assayed in an identical manner as an internal control as described previously [25]. Results Quality of microarray data Since each GeneChip contained 8799 probe sets, a total of 105,588 expression data points were generated from the twelve arrays. Principle component analysis (PCA) was first performed to examine the correlations among the data produced from different arrays. The results of the first three principal components, which included the variance of 83.

Conclusions Previous studies have demonstrated that the ability o

Conclusions Previous studies have demonstrated that the ability of certain bacteria to synthesize, accumulate and metabolize intracellular PHB stores is important in enhancing their capacity to survive unfavourable growth conditions [34–37]. Rhizobia in the soil environment must contend with varying nutrient conditions, from the carbon-deficient bulk soil, to the carbon-rich rhizosphere

[33]. The LDN-193189 in vitro ability to accumulate and utilize carbon stores would be highly advantageous, allowing rhizobia to cope with fluctuating carbon conditions, and thus, make them more competitive against other bacterial populations [38]. Previous studies have shown that mutant strains of S. meliloti unable to synthesize (phaC) or degrade (bdhA) PHB show a significant reduction in competitiveness for nodule occupancy PCI-32765 molecular weight [28, 39], with AS1842856 purchase mutants that are unable to synthesize PHB exhibiting a much greater loss in competitiveness

than those unable to degrade PHB [28], as we have confirmed here. This is the first study in which the competitiveness of an S. meliloti phaZ mutant has been investigated. It was expected, based upon the phenotype of the bdhA mutant [28], that the phaZ mutant would exhibit reduced nodulation competitiveness. Interestingly, the phaZ mutant was as competitive as wild-type in co-inoculation experiments, and consistently out-competed both phaC and bdhA mutants (Table 4). Studies in Azotobacter vinelandii have demonstrated a role for PHB in protection of the cell against environmental stresses including pH, oxidative

stress and UV damage [40]. It is conceivable that the enhanced competitiveness of the phaZ mutant, relative to the phaC and bdhA mutants, is due to an enhanced ability to tolerate the conditions encountered in the soil and rhizosphere as a result of the increased cytoplasmic PHB concentration. Interestingly, the phaZ mutant shows a similar reduction Benzatropine in long-term survival during starvation to the phaC mutant (Figure 1). This suggests that the inability to degrade PHB is just as detrimental to the cells as the inability to accumulate it. This also confirms that PHB degradation does play a significant role in fuelling cellular metabolism under adverse conditions, and that glycogen synthesis and degradation is not able to replace the function of PHB metabolism under these conditions. Previous studies have shown that S. meliloti mutants defective in PHB synthesis also exhibit a significant reduction in succinoglycan production under conditions favouring both succinoglycan and PHB production [41], suggesting that these pathways share a common regulatory factor. S. meliloti phaB and phaC mutants exhibit non-mucoid colony morphology on carbon-rich media, while bdhA mutants show a mucoid colony morphology.

For each subject evaluated, a database of

For each subject evaluated, a database of spacer groups

was generated, and databases were compared to determine shared spacer groups and to create heatmaps using Java Treeview [43]. Spacer heat matrices were created using Microsoft Excel 2007 (Microsoft Corp., Redman, WA). Beta diversity was determined using binary Sorensen distances, and was used as input for principal coordinates analysis using Qiime [44]. Spacers from each subject were Selleck INK1197 subjected to BLASTN [34] analysis based on the NCBI Non-redundant database. Hits were considered significant based on bit scores ≥45, which roughly correlates to 2 nucleotide differences over the length of a 30 nucleotide spacer. The number of blast homologues then were normalized for each subject, and heatmaps were created using Java Treeview [43]. Spacers also were queried against www.selleckchem.com/products/Vorinostat-saha.html the loci present in the CRISPR Database [38] or other specified metagenomic datasets, and only spacers that were identical or had a single mismatch over the entire length of the spacer were considered matches. CRISPR spacers for each subject were used to search a database of the virome reads for matches from all viromes combined, and the number of spacer matches per virome read was used to create

heatmaps. The heatmaps were normalized by the total number of spacer matches per virome read, and were generated using Java Treeview [43]. Rarefaction analysis was performed based on spacer group richness estimates of 10,000 iterations using EcoSim [45]. CRISPR loci were reassembled from reads that had a minimum of 2 full spacer sequences flanked by

full-length repeat motifs. Each locus was reassembled based on matching adjacent spacers, in which reads were only assembled into loci if their adjacent spacers were present in the same combination Phloretin in at least 75% of the reads assessed. Isolation and analysis of viromes Saliva from human subjects was filtered sequentially through 0.45 μ and 0.2 μ filters to remove cellular debris, and the remaining fraction purified on a cesium chloride gradient as previously described [8]. Only the fraction at the density of most known viruses [46] was retained; it was then further purified on Amicon YM-100 protein purification columns (Millipore, Inc., Bellerica, MA), and treated with DNASE I, followed by lysis and DNA purification using Qiagen UltraSens virus kit (Qiagen, Valencia, CA). Resulting DNA was amplified using Capmatinib nmr GenomiPhi V2 MDA amplification (GE Healthcare, Pittsburgh, PA), fragmented to roughly 100 to 200 bp using a Bioruptor (Diagenode, Denville, NJ), constructed into libraries using the Ion Plus Fragment Library Kit according to manufacturer’s instructions, and sequenced using 316 chips on an Ion Torrent PGM (Life Technologies, Grand Island, NY) [36] producing an average read length of approximately 100 bp for each sample. Each read was trimmed according to modified Phred scores of 0.5 using CLC Genomics Workbench 4.

It is conceivable that the modified avidin coating protocol using

It is conceivable that the modified avidin coating protocol using citrate buffer altered the charge Protein Tyrosine Kinase inhibitor distribution at the steric layer, thus augmenting the negative surface charge of avidin-coated SPIONs. With the introduction of the negatively charged DPPG into the lipid mixture, charge repulsion may have resulted

in less tight association of the lipid layer with the avidin-coated Fe3O4 surface. Further assessment of the nanoassembly using high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) and atomic force microscopy could provide additional experimental support for this hypothesis. Nevertheless, it is relevant to emphasize that DLS measurements are performed in the presence of a liquid suspension vehicle (e.g., citrate buffer) and determine hydrodynamic particle size distributions. HRTEM requires dry samples and may result in different quantitative size information due to the absence of a surface-associated hydration layer. The incorporation of a 50% molar ratio of DPPG into the lipid layer effectively augmented the negative surface charge of the lipid coat from -5.0 [12] to -19.1 mV. The enhanced negative charge associated with the nanoparticle surface is expected to increase colloidal stability

of the suspension. Furthermore, it is predicted that this favorable zeta potential reduces surface adsorption of selleckchem serum components such as proteins and lipoproteins [25]. Ultimately, these improved physicochemical properties of lipid-coated

SPIONs may significantly increase biological circulation time after systemic administration allowing more effective delivery of therapeutic payload to desired target cells. Magnetically induced hyperthermia The objective of immobilizing a phospholipid layer onto the surface of SPIONs was to fabricate a thermoreponsive nanoassembly that facilitates stimulus-induced release of a lipid-encapsulated payload following exposure to a localized alternating magnetic field. Heating behavior of www.selleckchem.com/products/ulixertinib-bvd-523-vrt752271.html uncoated and lipid-coated SPIONs was first assessed in the MFG-1000, which represents a user-friendly commercial device for the assessment of hyperthermia up to 7.0 mT at Selleckchem Docetaxel 1.0 MHz. It allows simple measurements using 200-μL PCR tubes or glass slides. However, this device has limited suitability for cell-based experiments and cannot be used for preclinical animal experiments. Therefore, it was of interest to compare heating behaviors of these SPIONs in the MFG-1000 with results from an experimental MHS built in our laboratory that was designed to explore the magnetically induced hyperthermia effect on biological systems, including adherent cell lines and small animals such as mice and rats. Figure 2 compares time-dependent temperature profiles recorded upon exposure of lipid-coated SPIONs at a concentration of 0.02 mg/mL in citrate buffer, pH 7.4, to a 7-mT magnetic field alternating at 1.0 MHz (MFG-1000) and a 16.6-mT magnetic field at 13.6 MHz (MHS).

So, immediately after mixing of two polymer solutions (during app

So, immediately after mixing of two polymer solutions (during approximately 30 s), about 50% of the base pairs (from all possible pairs) are selleck kinase inhibitor formed, and then within the next 3 min, their number reaches 93% (Figure  2, curve 1). The final phase is characterized with a slow rate of polymer hybridization; so for 5 h, the number of pairs increases only by 5%. In this time period, the relaxation processes in irregular parts of the polymer like the loop occur [40, 41]. It should

be noted that, within 24 h after mixing of JSH-23 initial solutions, the hypochromic coefficient reaches its maximal value (h max = 0.425). The fraction of bases in the double-stranded form (the degree of hybridization) can be obtained by using the simple ratio see more (h t/h max) in which the hypochromic coefficient at any time (h t) is compared with its maximal value. Figure 2 Time dependences of absorption hypochromism ( λ  = 248 nm) observed at mixing. 1, water solutions of poly(rC) and poly(rI); 2, poly(rC)NT suspension and solution of poly(rI). Kinetics was measured at 20°C. The dashed line corresponds to the formation of 50% of the base pairs. To confirm the formation of the poly(rI)∙рoly(rC) duplex under these experimental conditions, we melted this polymer obtained after the hybridization (Figure  3, curve 1). As a result, we observed an S-like temperature dependence of light

absorption (Figure  3, curve 1) that is evidence of the helix-coil transition in ds-RNA obtained due to hybridization. The melting temperature (T m) of the hybridized poly(rI)∙poly(rC) was found at 52.5°C. T m is a standard measure of the solution thermodynamic stability of the duplex of nucleic acids, which is defined as a temperature at which the hypochromic coefficient

reaches half of its value. This temperature also indicates the coexistence of next half of the polymer in the duplex and in single strands. Figure 3 Melting curves measured at λ  = 248 nm. 1, poly(rI)∙poly(rC) hybridized in buffer solution; 2, initial double-stranded poly(rI)∙poly(rC) (Sigma); 3, poly(rI)∙рoly(rC)NT formed after 24 h of hybridization. The dashed lines indicate the positions of the melting temperatures of the corresponding curves. We compared also the melting curve of hybridized poly(rI)∙poly(rC) with the curve obtained for the initial duplex poly(rI)∙рoly(rC) (Figure  3, curve 2). It turned out that the melting curve of the last polymer is shifted to a higher temperature. T m value for this polymer is 57.7°C. It means that the thermostability of hybridized poly(rI)∙poly(rC) is reduced in comparison with that of the initial duplex poly(rI)∙poly(rC), while hyperchromic coefficients taken for the both curves almost coincide. In our opinion, the main reason of the thermostability decrease of the hybridized polymer is conditioned with polymer fragmentation caused by ultrasonication.

In addition, two middle regions (exons 8 and 13) of BRCA1 gene we

In addition, two middle regions (exons 8 and 13) of BRCA1 gene were investigated for the presence of mutation. The majorities of mutations, known to be disease-causing, consist of small frame shift deletions, small insertions and nonsense

or splice site mutations, which all result in a truncated protein. Because of the lack of known structure-function relationships, only truncating mutations are usable for medical management of carrier individuals [14]. In the current study four truncating mutations and one missense mutation were detected among the majority of the studied patients and in more Selleck CA4P than half of their asymptomatic first degree female relatives. The truncating mutations were three frame shift mutations and one nonsense mutation. All mutations were repeated in 6 or more families. The recurrent mutations were found in all (100%) families with detected mutations. This selleck compound finding is similar to the study of Corski et al. [32],

which found recurrent mutations in 93% of families with detected mutations. The first studied founder mutation in the current study was the frame shift mutation 185 del AG in exon 2 of BRCA1 gene. It was identified in 10% of families selleck (index cases and their asymptomatic relatives). This mutation was detected with high frequency in Ashkenazi Jews [33], in two Spanish families [34], in 3 of 4 families with Ashkenazi Jewish ancestry in France [35] and in non-Ashkenazi groups across the middle east, Turkey, England, Iran, Asia and India [33, 36]. The second studied founder mutation in BRCA1 gene is a frame shift mutation in exon 22 (5454 del C). It is recently detected in 16.7% Filipino patients and their asymptomatic relatives

[28]. The knowledge about this mutation is limited [29]. The third studied founder mutation in BRCA2 gene is the frame shift (5-base deletion) mutation in exon 9 (999 del 5). This mutation is recurrent and proposed as an ancient founder mutation. It has been identified as a strong founder in Iceland [37, 38]. Also it was identified in Finnish breast cancer families [39], which may reflect ancient genetic relationships between European populations. Other BRCA2 founder mutations in ID-8 other exons have been reported in Filipino patients [28], and in Jewish patients [40]. In the present study, BRCA2 mutation is frequently repeated among different families (26.7%) in both patients and their relatives, suggesting a founder effect in our population. The presence of this mutation is not limited to those patients having a positive family history of the disease. Some patients carrying this mutation have negative family history. Failure to identify family history may be attributed to small family size and young relatives. For BRCA2, a study [39] has provided evidence that mutation in a ~3.

3 ± 0 4 6-11/day Dairy products 3 1 ± 0 9 3-4/day Fruits 3 1 ± 0

3 ± 0.4 6-11/day Dairy products 3.1 ± 0.9 3-4/day Fruits 3.1 ± 0.9 2-4/day Vegetables 3.8 ± 0.6 3-5/day Olive oil 1.2 ± 0.4 2-4/day Other oils 0.3 ± 0.1 Not mentioned Legumes and pulses 0.5 ± 0.2 2-3/week or frequently (1/day) Dried fruits 0.4 ± 0.2 2-3/week or frequently (1/day) Fish

0.9 ± 0.2 2-3/day and alternating these food groups Lean meats and poultry 1.8 ± 0.4 Eggs 0.5 ± 0.1 Fatty meat and cold meats 0.5 ± 0.1 A few times per month Pastries and margarines 2.1 ± 0.5 Wine and beer 0.3 ± 0.2 Not mentioned Data are expressed as mean ± standard deviation of the number of ingested servings for each food group per person per day. aProposal to adapt the food pyramid to an athlete’s diet [31]. Discussion The data collected in this study are of interest because, although the FVPs had a diet rich in fats, LOXO-101 datasheet cholesterol and SFAs, it was found that their LP did improve. Specifically, LDLc Combretastatin A4 clinical trial and the atherogenic indices declined, whilst HDLc increased, find more after 11 weeks of training. There is strong evidence that aerobic exercise is associated with favourable shifts in blood triglycerides and HDLc; further, data from intervention studies [20] and numerous meta-analyses [21, 22] also support the view that there is an LDLc lowering response to exercise training, though this is a less well-characterized and seems to be variable. Furthermore,

independent of diet, exercise was found to have beneficial effects on the concentration and size of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol particles, concentration of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, size of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol particles, and triglycerides [23]. A recent meta-analysis [24] showed that continuous exercise (training) produces a 5 to 8% increase in HDLc levels. This is attributable to an increase in the activity of lecithin-cholesterol acyltransferase (LCAT), which increases the synthesis of HDLc, and a reduction in the activity of hepatic lipase, which is involved in the catabolism of these lipids. The effects of physical activity on LCAT and hepatic lipase depend on the type, intensity,

frequency, and duration of the physical activity [25]. Paraoxonases are also associated with HDLc because they induce the hydrolysis of lipid peroxide Ergoloid and they provide protection against atherosclerosis [25]. Additionally, a reduction of up to 20% in paraoxonase levels has been reported in sedentary people [26]. HDLc serum levels are inversely associated with the risk of CVD [8]. In the present study, a slight increase of 7.3 ± 22.6% (p > 0.05) was observed in the levels of HDLc in the FVPs after 11 weeks of training. Though the change was not significant, it is interesting to note that an increase of this order of magnitude would decrease their risk of CVD by 16 to 24% [24]. In contrast to HDLc, high levels of LDLc favour the onset and development of CVD [8]. This is why many studies have been conducted to determine which factors lower LDLc levels [6, 24, 27]. Tambalis et al.

Despite

earlier radiological examination, complete surgic

Despite

earlier radiological examination, complete surgical resection and aggressive chemotherapy, it is still a social dilemma. Research studies have shown relevance of neuroendocrine molecules in breast cancer development, such as Selleck Staurosporine Substance P and its receptor, NK-1, which belongs to G protein coupled receptor [2, 3]. Substance P is a member of neurokinin family. Pharmacological studies have confirmed NK-1 as the high affinity receptor of substance P. It is well known that substance P and NK-1 are widely expressed in neural and non-neural sources [4–11]. Moreover, substance P could mediate cell mitogenesis through NK-1 activation [7], and using specific NK-1 antagonists (such as CP-96345, C-99994) in breast cancer cell lines could blunt the autocrine and/or paracrine cell proliferation [2, 3]. Two forms of NK-1 see more are reported in humans, full-length (NK1-FL) and truncated (NK1-Tr). The cytoplasmic end of NK1-Tr lacks 100 residues, a region that functions as the substrate for G protein-receptor kinase [12]. By in situ hybridization, the existence of NK-1 mRNA

has been demonstrated in malignant breast tissue but not detected in benign tissue [2]. Western blots showed coexpression of NK1-Tr and NK1-FL in several different breast cancer cell lines, including T47D [3]. Moreover, Previous RT-PCR study showed T47D cells contain more abundant NK-1 and substance P than others [3]. Both NK1-Tr and NK1-FL can activate PKC through incorporating G proteins, which has been suggested as a potential cancer target [13, 14]. Recently, the expression of NK-1 in human eFT508 solubility dmso tumors has been investigated using immunohistochemistry [8]. In several cell types, tumor cells bear more NK-1 than normal cells. These findings suggest that NK-1 may 3-mercaptopyruvate sulfurtransferase serve as a specific

factor involved in the development of breast cancer. However, it is unknown the exact cellular location of NK-1 in breast cancer cells. Although earlier in vitro studies have demonstrated that NK-1 antagonists could inhibit the growth of certain tumor cells in presence or absence of apoptosis [2, 3, 15–22], no study has been carried out on the antitumor action of specific NK-1 antagonist SR140333 in human breast cancer. Furthermore, it is also unclear whether the NK-1 specific agonist SMSP exerts proliferation promoting action or not in breast cancer cells. Therefore, in this study, we first generated an immunohistochemical study to investigate the immunolocation of NK-1 on breast cancer tissues and T47D cell line. Then we examined the effect of SMSP and SR140333 on in vitro growth of human breast cancer cell line T47D and further detected whether the NK-1 receptor antagonist SR140333 produce apoptosis in this cell line. Our study may enable us to develop a potential therapeutic target for breast cancer therapy.

Consistent with earlier reports [12, 51], the combined effect of

Consistent with earlier reports [12, 51], the combined effect of antibiotics with AgNPs was additive. Interestingly, the action of six different antibiotics (ampicillin, chloramphenicol, erythromycin, gentamicin, and tetracycline) showed better enhanced activity against Gram-negative than against Gram-positive find more bacteria in the presence of AgNPs. There was a significant enhancement seen with ampicillin in P. aeruginosa and S. flexneri (Figure 9). In contrast, the maximum increase in activity against S. aureus and S. pneumoniae was observed with vancomycin. These data are consistent with earlier reports [12, 51, 52]. The differential CBL0137 cell line susceptibility of Gram-negative and Gram-positive

bacteria toward antibacterial agents may depend on differences in their cell wall structure [53]. Enhanced antibacterial effects of antibiotics and AgNPs In vitro killing studies were performed to explore the possibility of using AgNPs as an antibiotic adjuvant, increasing the effect of both AgNPs and antibiotics were analysed using sublethal concentrations. In order to analyze, the bacterial test strains were treated with sublethal concentrations of ampicillin and vancomycin. The addition of sublethal concentrations of AgNPs to these antibiotics treatments resulted in significantly enhanced antimicrobial activity

(p < 0.05). Interestingly, both of these antibiotics showed an enhanced effect with specific bacteria, compared to control or AgNPs alone. The most significant effects were observed Navitoclax research buy with ampicillin toward Gram-negative

bacteria (Figure 10A) and with vancomycin toward Gram-positive bacteria (Figure 10B). Overall, ampicillin displayed significant effects in both Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria [18]. A similar inhibitory effect was observed on biofilm activity when these agents were combined. The possibility of using AgNPs as an antibiotic adjuvant [21] was explored by assessing their additive or synergistic effects on bacterial antibiotic susceptibility. The capacity of silver ions to potentiate the bactericidal effect of antibiotics was hypothesized to share a common mechanism of action involving Silibinin the overproduction of ROS [21, 54]. The greatest enhancement by AgNPs was observed with ampicillin against Gram-negative and vancomycin against Gram-positive bacteria. These two antibiotics were, therefore, selected to test the antibacterial and anti-biofilm activity of combined treatments in Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria. In this experiment, bacteria were incubated with sublethal concentrations of antibiotics or AgNPs, or combinations of AgNPs and antibiotics, during exponential bacterial growth. CFUs were determined at 24 h after harvesting bacteria at different time points. Figure 10 Enhanced antibacterial effect of antibiotics in the presence of AgNPs.

Interestingly, the proteins of unknown function show interactions

Interestingly, the proteins of unknown function show interactions with proteins involved in several functional classes, including tail assembly, transcription and recombination (Figure 4). Figure 4 Interactions among functional groups of proteins. Each row and column of the shown profile corresponds to a protein-SBI-0206965 in vitro protein interaction (two-hybrid) count with different functional classes (see matrix). The interactions within certain functional classes are enriched compared to other functions groups, e.g. head assembly proteins show 15 interactions among each other, 8 interactions are detected between tail see more assembly proteins

and 3 interactions among proteins of unknown function (see Additional file 1: Tables S4 and S5 for details). Overall, the 97 protein-protein interactions (PPIs) of our screens correspond to ~4.2% of the lambda search space (= 97/68*68*0.5), i.e. all possible

protein pairs of the lambda proteome (here: 68*68). This is significantly less than we found in Streptococcus phage Dp1, namely 156 interactions among 72 ORFs [11] even though in the latter case only 2 vector pairs were used. A possible explanation is that we used a more rigorous retesting scheme here in which only interactions were counted that were found in multiple rounds of retesting. Discussion Lambda protein interaction network This is only the second https://www.selleckchem.com/products/ldn193189.html Tideglusib study that has applied multiple two-hybrid vector systems to characterize the protein-protein interactions at a genome scale, the first being our analysis of the Varicella Zoster Virus [8]. The lambda protein network connects 12 proteins

of unknown function with well characterized proteins, which should shed light on the functional associations of these uncharacterized proteins (Figure 3). For example, NinI interacts with two proteins N and Q which are involved in transcription antitermination. The scaffolding protein Nu3 forms dimers, and interacts with the tail proteins Z and M as well as the capsid protein E. Thus, Nu3 may play an accessory role in the assembly of both head and tail, even though Nu3 is not absolutely required for tail assembly. False negatives This study discovered more than 53% of all published interactions among lambda proteins. However, it failed to discover the remaining 47%. We can only speculate why this is the case. Some of the early steps in virion assembly depend on chaperones [12]. For instance, the portal protein B requires GroES/EL, most likely for folding [13]. These chaperones are not present in the yeast cells which we used for our interaction screens. We found only one of five known interactions of B (namely W-B) and aberrant folding in yeast may be the reason for not detecting the other four known interactions. In addition, several lambda proteins are processed during assembly.