FIG 3.

Characterization of heat shock-enhanced conjugation in C. jejuni. (A) Effect of heat shock (HS) on the conjugation of different C. jejuni isolates. (B) Persistence of the heat shock-enhanced conjugation phenotype in C. jejuni NCTC 11168. After being treated with heat shock (50°C for 30 min), the recipient NCTC 11168 cells were incubated at 42°C in the Tri-Gas incubator for different lengths of time prior to the conjugation experiment. The cells without heat shock treatment (untreated) were also subjected to the same treatment and used as a control. (C) The heat shock-enhanced conjugation is mediated through C. jejuni NCTC 11168 recipient cells only. For all experiments, each bar represents the mean from two independent experiments with duplicate measurements for each experiment. The error bars indicate the standard deviations. Values that are significantly different (P < 0.05) are indicated by a bar and asterisk. Abbreviations: UT, untreated control; HS, heat shocked at 50°C for 30 min prior to conjugation.