FIG. 3.
Infection of mice defective in B- and/or T-cell functions. Wild-type and selectively deficient Cd3ɛ−/−, μMT−/−, and Rag2−/− mice with the C57BL/6 background were injected intravenously with 107 CFU of M. abscessus or M. chelonae. The data shown are from one of two independent experiments (means ± standard deviations for log10 CFU per organ; four or five mice per group per time point). The significance of differences between selectively deficient mice and wild-type controls is indicated as follows: one asterisk, 0.001 < P < 0.05; two asterisks, P < 0.001. Note that M. abscessus colonies recovered from the liver of μMT−/− mice on day 90 exhibited mixed S and R morphotypes at 3/1 to 1/3 ratios.