FIG 2.

Phenotypes exhibited by H111 bearing partial pC3 derivatives. Control strains were H111 (wt) and an H111 pC3-null derivative (Δc3). The partial pC3 derivative present in each strain has been indicated. Error bars represent standard deviations of the results across biological triplicates, unless otherwise stated. (A) Proteolytic activity. Bars represent the normalized proteolytic activity of each strain at 37°C. (B) Antifungal activity against F. solani. Bars represent the mean zone of inhibition surrounding the bacteria. Plates were incubated at room temperature for 9 days. (C) Derivative pC3del4 confers full pathogenicity against nematodes. The percentage of nematodes within developmental stages L1 to -2, L3, and L4 to adult were assessed after 48 h of growth in liquid cultures of H111 bearing the partial pC3 derivatives indicated. Bars represent the means of two independent experiments, and error bars show the standard deviation. (D) Pathogenicity against G. mellonella requires the conserved region of pC3. Survival curves are for G. mellonella larvae infected with the H111 derivatives indicated. Larvae were injected with approximately 7.5 × 10⁴ bacteria and incubated at 30°C in the dark. Live and dead larvae were counted at 24, 48, and 72 hpi. Significance was determined where pertinent using the log rank test; H111/pC3del3 did not differ significantly from H111Δc3 (P = 0.0878).