FIG. 1.

Pg promotes the invasion of pex cells by N. gonorrhoeae. Pex cells were challenged for 90 min with N. gonorrhoeae strain 1291 in the presence or absence of various concentrations of E2 (A), Pg (B), or E2 plus Pg (C), as indicated. Invasion (90 min infection plus 30 min of gentamicin treatment) assays were then performed as described in the text. The values given are the mean (variance) in which the percent invasion of pex cells by gonococci was determined as a function of the original inoculum and the number of CFU formed with subsequent plating of the cervical epithelial cell lysates. The data were obtained from three trials performed in triplicate. P values were determined using a Kruskal-Wallis k-sample analysis of variance. *, P ≤ 0.01 for the invasion of pex cells by gonococci in the presence of (compared to the absence of) Pg or E2/Pg.