FIG 5.

Multiple E. faecalis strains can induce host cell antiapoptotic response. (A and B) RAW264.7 cells were infected with E. faecalis strains OG1RF, V583, MMH594, and E99 as described in Materials and Methods before treatment (Treat) with staurosporine (A) or TNF-α (B) and analysis of cleaved caspase 3 by Western blotting. (C) The levels of cleaved caspase 3 in RAW264.7 cells were detected after different treatments, i.e., conditioned medium from E99 (Medium), killed E99 (KE99), and cytochalasin D plus E99 (CytD&E99), and compared to cells treated with live E99 (E99) used as a control. The images are representative of three independent experiments. (D) Cleaved caspase 3 levels were normalized by actin densitometry, and fold activations relative to untreated samples were determined. Each data point in the graph represents the mean and SD of three independent experiments. *, P < 0.05; **, P < 0.01.