A new polymorphism located at position 2629 (CETP/2629A/C) in the promoter of the cholesteryl ester transfer protein (CETP) gene is described. The 2629A allele was associated with lower CETP mass (P,0.0001) and higher high density lipoprotein cholesterol (P,0.001) than the C allele in a sample of 536 control subjects from the ECTIM study. Transfection studies in HepG2 cells with a luciferase ex...

Although human c-IAP1 and c-IAP2 have been reported to possess antiapoptotic activity against a variety of stimuli in several mammalian cell types, we observed that full-length c-IAP1 and c-IAP2 failed to protect cells from apoptosis induced by Bax overexpression, tumor necrosis factor alpha treatment or Sindbis virus infection. However, deletion of the C-terminal RING domains of c-IAP1 and c-I...

The central nervous system myelin components oligodendrocyte-myelin glycoprotein, myelin-associated glycoprotein and the Nogo-66 domain of Nogo-A inhibit neurite outgrowth by binding the neuronal glycosyl-phosphatidylinositol-anchored Nogo-66 receptor (NgR) that transduces the inhibitory signal to the cell interior via a transmembrane co-receptor, p75NTR. Here, we demonstrate that human NgR exp...

A new, short and highly diastereoselective synthetic route aiming at the C(33)–C(37) fragment of Amphotericin B has been developed. Studies with a model aldehyde (benzaldehyde) have given very promising results: the desired stereochemistry of all four stereocenters of the target molecule has been achieved with high diastereoselection. The stereochemistry of three key intermediates and the targe...

The bactericidal/permeability-increasing protein (BPI) of polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMN) is a potent cytotoxin, specific for Gram-negative bacteria, that also inhibits endotoxin activity by neutralizing isolated bacterial lipopolysaccharides (LPS). We have previously shown that an isolated 25 kD N-terminal fragment of human BPI carries all the antibacterial activities of the parent 55-60 kD...