FIG. 7.

Colonization dynamics of the V. vulnificus strains. A competition assay was performed by inoculation of a mouse with the bacterial suspension prepared by mixing equal numbers of the wild type and the nanA mutant and then by enumeration of the bacterial cells colonized on the mouse intestine at the indicated time intervals. Each filled (wild type) and open (nanA mutant) circle represents a colonization index value (number of CFU recovered/number of CFU inoculated) calculated from the result of the individual competition assay; mean values are displayed as a line on the graph.