FIG 1.

CirA is necessary for virulence. (A) Confocal images of HeLa cells infected at an MOI of 50 for 5 days with an intergenic Tn mutant (Ig0179-0180), the cirA::Tn mutant, and the cirA::Tn complemented (comp) mutant. Images were captured with a Nikon A1 confocal microscope with at least 500 infected cells observed per experiment. Data are representative of three independent experiments. (B) Replication of wild-type RSA439, the cirA::Tn mutant, and the complemented mutant in HeLa cells infected with an MOI of 50. Genome equivalents (GE) were determined at 4 days using quantitative PCR. Data are representative of three independent experiments. (C) Five C57BL/6 mice per group were i.p. infected, and at 14 days postinfection, spleens were harvested, and bacterial burden was determined by quantitative PCR. (B) Statistical analyses were tabulated using Student's t tests and generated a statistical difference of P < 0.01 (*) for the cirA::Tn mutant compared to the complemented mutant. (C) Statistical analyses were tabulated using one-way ANOVA and generated a statistically significant difference of P < 0.0001 (***) compared to RSA439 or P < 0.05 (*) compared to the CirA::Tn complemented mutant.