FIG. 2.

Replication of P. aeruginosa or its T3SS mutants within human corneal epithelial cells. Data are shown as the percent increase in number of viable intracellular bacteria over a 4-h time window (i.e., from 4 to 8 h postinoculation with gentamicin in the extracellular medium). Corneal epithelial cells were exposed to 2 × 10⁷ CFU of P. aeruginosa strain PAO1 or T3SS mutants for 3 h followed by a 1- or 5-h gentamicin treatment (4- and 8-h time points, respectively) before cell lysis and enumeration of viable intracellular bacteria. *, significantly different from results for PAO1 wild type; #, significantly different from results for ΔexoSTY mutant.