Figure 7. GPI inositol deacylation is required for invasive infection during hematogenously disseminated candidiasis.
(A) Survival curves of thirty C57BL/6 female mice infected via the tail vein with 5 × 105 CFU parent (SN152), BST1-complemented (bst1Δ/Δ::BST1), bst1Δ/Δ null mutant strains. Infected animals were observed for over 30 days. Data are representative of two independent experiments. **P < 0.01, (Log-rank test). (B) Quantification of the fungal cells in the livers and kidneys of mice intravenously infected with 5 × 105 CFU parent (SN152), BST1-complemented (bst1Δ/Δ::BST1), bst1Δ/Δ null mutant strains. After two days of infection, tissues were isolated and homogenized, and CFUs were quantitated and normalized with respect to the tissue weight. Data are representative of two independent experiments. **P < 0.01 (Kruskal-Wallis nonparametric One-way ANOVA with Dunns post-test). (C) Kidney histopathology was analyzed with periodic acid-Schiff (PAS) and hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining at day 2 after intravenous infection with 5 × 105 CFU parent (SN152), BST1-complemented (bst1Δ/Δ::BST1), bst1Δ/Δ null mutant strains. (D) Quantification of the fungal cells in livers and kidneys of mice intravenously infected with 5 × 105 CFU BST1-complemented (bst1Δ/Δ::BST1) and BST1S202A mutant strains. After 5 days of infection, tissues were isolated and homogenized, and CFUs were quantitated and normalized with respect to tissue weight. Data are representative of two independent experiments. *P < 0.05 (Kruskal-Wallis nonparametric One-way ANOVA with Dunns post-test).