The cell-permeant irreversible caspase-9 inhibitor (C9-i) decreased the infection rate to nearly half of control, and cell-permeant Apaf-1 inhibitor (Ap-i) conduced a 1.5 times higher infection rate, while caspase-8 and -3 inhibitors (C8-i, C3-i, respectively) showed no modification of infection rates. The gene discussed is APAF1; the disease is infection.