TABLE 5.
Ocular colonization by P. aeruginosa strain PA103 and the retS and exsA mutants at 7 days postinoculation in the 6-h healing murine model of corneal infection
| Strain | Infecting dose (no. of CFU [106] in 5 μl) | Median final viable count (CFU/ml) (lower quartile-upper quartile) at 7 days |
|---|---|---|
| PA103 | 4.2 | 6.1 × 106 (5.2 × 106-7.0 × 106) |
| retS mutant | 2.9 | 1.3 × 107 (9.2 × 106-1.4 × 107)a |
| exsA mutant | 3.0 | 5.8 × 106 (5.4 × 106-6.3 × 106) |
a
A more-than-twofold increase in colonization by retS over PA103 or the exsA mutant (P < 0.05 [Mann-Whitney test] for each case).