Figure 4. Gc that are nonvarying in P+ or P− phenotype can replicate and exit from T84 cells similar to the P+ parental strain.

Panels A-B: Comparison of varying P+ to nonvarying P− FA1090 Gc. T84 cells were apically infected with the P+ FA1090 parental strain (solid lines; black bars) or an isogenic P−_n mutant with a deletion in the pilE locus (dotted lines; white bars). The number of cell-associated (Panel A) and exited (Panel B) CFU were enumerated over time as in Figs. 1A and B, respectively. Panels C-D: Comparison of varying P+ to nonvarying P+ FA1090. T84 cells were apically infected with the P+ FA1090 parent (solid lines; black bars) or an isogenic P+_nv mutant that does not undergo pilin Av due to the presence of a transposon insertion upstream of pilE (dotted lines; white bars). The number of cell-associated (Panel C) and exited (Panel D) CFU were enumerated over time as in Figs. 1A and B, respectively. *, P < 0.05 between strains at the indicated time point by Student's t-test.