TABLE 2.
Lesion formation by wild-type, gmhA mutant, and complemented gmhA mutant strains of H. ducreyi in the temperature-dependent rabbit modela
| Expt | Strain | Inoculum size (CFU) | Mean ± SD lesion score on day:
|
Pb | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 4 | 7 | ||||
| A | 35000 (wild type) | 105 | 3.38 ± 0.48 | 3.88 ± 0.33 | 4.00 ± 0 | |
| 35000.252 (gmhA mutant) | 105 | 1.63 ± 0.48 | 1.25 ± 0.43 | 1.63 ± 0.70 | 0.0001 | |
| 35000 (wild type) | 104 | 3.00 ± 0 | 3.00 ± 0 | 3.75 ± 0.43 | ||
| 35000.252 (gmhA mutant) | 104 | 1.25 ± 0.66 | 0.63 ± 0.48 | 1.00 ± 0.87 | ||
| B | 35000 | 105 | 3.88 ± 0.33 | 3.88 ± 0.33 | 4.00 ± 0 | |
| 35000.252 | 105 | 2.13 ± 0.60 | 1.63 ± 0.48 | 1.25 ± 0.66 | 0.0001 | |
| 35000 | 104 | 3.13 ± 0.60 | 2.88 ± 0.78 | 3.00 ± 1.11 | ||
| 35000.252 | 104 | 1.50 ± 0.71 | 0.88 ± 0.60 | 0.63 ± 0.48 | ||
| C | 35000 | 105 | 4.00 ± 0 | 4.00 ± 0 | 4.00 ± 0 | |
| 35000.252(pLS88) | 105 | 2.25 ± 0.70 | 2.00 ± 0.76 | 1.75 ± 0.46 | 0.0001 | |
| 35000.252(pLS253) | 105 | 4.00 ± 0 | 4.00 ± 0 | 4.00 ± 0 | 0.2773 | |
| 35000 | 104 | 4.00 ± 0 | 3.88 ± 0.35 | 4.00 ± 0 | ||
| 35000.252(pLS88) | 104 | 1.13 ± 0.64 | 0.50 ± 0.76 | 1.25 ± 0.35 | ||
| 35000.252(pLS253) | 104 | 3.75 ± 0.46 | 3.75 ± 0.46 | 3.63 ± 0.74 | ||
a
Eight rabbits were used in each experiment.
b
Calculated for the difference between wild-type and test strain lesion scores from both inoculum sizes and from all 3 days. In addition, complemented gmhA mutant 35000.252(pLS253) was significantly more virulent than the gmhA mutant containing the pLS88 vector alone (P ≤ 0.0001).