FIG. 4.
Proliferation and tcaA expression of W22703 in C. elegans. (A) C. elegans worms were fed for 4 h with W22703 or W22703 tcaA134::Tn5lux and then transferred to plates with E. coli OP50 cells. A total of 20 to 100 nematodes were lysed per time point of each experiment, and the bacterial cell numbers per worm are shown. The number of W22703 cells within the nematode increased to 1.15 × 106 cells per worm in 4 days, and that of mutant W22703 tcaA134::Tn5lux increased to approximately 2.58 × 105 cells per worm. The standard deviation of five independent experiments is indicated. (B) In vivo expression of tcaA was monitored in parallel using mutant W22703 tcaA134::Tn5lux. Bioluminescence of strain W22703 YE2848::Tn5lux served as a control. Average data of five independent experiments are shown.