FIG. 2.

Phagocytic resistance of nonswimming P. aeruginosa is not due to bactericidal activity or differential flagellar expression. (A) WT PA14 (PA14) and the ΔmotAB ΔmotCD (mot) strain express similar total levels of flagellin as assessed by Western analysis for the FliC protein (right). Coomassie blue staining of parallel lanes is shown as a control for protein load (left). (B) To confirm that the ΔmotAB ΔmotCD mutant strain has intact extracellular flagella, the flagella were mechanically sheared from the bacteria and assessed by Coomassie blue staining (left) and Western analysis (right). (C) The BMDC killing rate of P. aeruginosa was assayed by gentamicin protection assay. Following a 1-h coincubation of PA14 with BMDCs, gentamicin was added, and at the indicated time points following gentamicin addition, aliquots were harvested and lysed to assess the death of internalized bacteria over the course of the assay. CFU were plotted relative to initial recovery. For each time point, n is ≥6; standard deviations are shown.