Figure 6. LPS profiles of H. pylori isolates after in vivo passage in mice.

Strain 67:21 was used to infect one germ-free mouse for 3 months (GF 3m) and two conventionally raised mice for three (CONV-R 3m) and ten (CONV-R 10m) months, respectively. LPS was analyzed by silver staining (A) and immunoblot with antibodies detecting Le^y (B) from ten emerging isolates from each mouse. The analyses revealed that the majority of isolates expressed LPS molecules with reduced levels of Le^y-decorated high-molecular-weight O-antigens, as compared to the wildtype 67:21 strain.