FIG 2.

Carrier allele liaS^R135G increases mouse nasopharyngeal colonization and in vitro adherence. (A) Kaplan-Meier survival curve following nasopharyngeal infection with either the invasive (liaS^WT; red line) or the mutant (blue line) strain. P values were determined by the log-rank test. (B) Rates of bacterial recovery from mice (n = 30) following inoculation of the invasive (liaS^WT; red line) or the mutant (blue line) strain. P values were determined using Kruskal-Wallis repeated-measures ANOVA. (C and D) Cultured epithelial cell (HaCaT) adherence assay using the invasive strain and the derived mutant (C) or the carrier strain [MGAS23431(liaS^R135G)] and the repaired mutant (MGAS23431liaS^WT) (D). Error bars represent SEMs, and P values were determined using a t test (unequal variance). NS, not significant.