Figure 4. Characterisation of behavioural patterns for different H. pylori mutants in genes coding for TlpD-interacting proteins (swim assay).

Behavioural patterns of H. pylori were determined by tracking assays using 50 bacteria per strain under previously determined steady state conditions of low bacterial energy yield¹³,²⁶ in RPMI 1640 + 3% FCS at 37 °C and ambient air enriched with 5% CO₂. Bacteria were collected from blood agar plates after 20 h of growth and resuspended in the liquid medium of low energy yield. Under these conditions, stopping frequency is dominated by TlpD²⁶. Stops per three seconds (black triangles with mean) and curvilinear velocity (CLV; average with standard deviation as black squares with whiskers) were quantified for the different mutants. Significance values for differences between the strains were calculated by Student’s t test.