(A) Strains overproducing CupB5 (PAO1-VE22) or MucE (PAO1-VE2) were transformed with plasmid HERD20T or variants overexpressing MucA or MucB, grown at 37°C for 24 h on PIA plates supplemented with 0.1% L-arabinose, and alginate production and colony phenotypes (M, mucoid; NM, nonmucoid) were assayed. (B) Alginate production and mucoid phenotypes were assayed in strains PAO1, PAO1-VE2 (mucE overexpressed), PAO1 mucB::tetR (mucB inactivated), and PAO1-VE22 (cupB5 overexpressed) transformed with the HERD20T plasmid vector or variants expressing HA-CupB4-H6 or HA-CupB5-H6. Values are averages ± SEM (n=3). Statistical significance was determine using the Student’s t-test (*P<0.05; **<0.005).