Fig 6. Mutations of non-mucoid S. aureus isolates with 5 bp deletions.

During persistence, non-mucoid S. aureus isolates with 5 bp deletions and compensatory mutations in icaA, D and C were identified. The ica-sequences of 12 non-mucoid isolates with 5 bp deletions of patients 7 (A) and 8 (B) are illustrated. The numbering of bases and amino acids (aa) follows the sequences retrieved from S. aureus strain ATCC35556 (SA113). Changes of bases, amino acids and deletions are indicated in red color. Synonymous changes are indicated in green. S. aureus strains are identified by the number of the patient's visit and the date of isolation. For patient 7, the same mutation was identified for isolates from visits 14, 15 and 16 and for patient 8 for isolates from visits 27, 43, 49 and 51, respectively. Only the mutation for the first identified isolate is shown.