FIG 2 .

Gal-3 promotes GAS replication. (A) Gal-3 expression was silenced in HMEC-1 cells by using three lentivirus-based shRNAs (shGal3 clones 1, 2, and 3). Luciferase shRNA (shLuc) was used as a negative control. The expression of Gal-3 was detected by Western blot analysis (upper panel). shLuc and shGal3 (clone 2) cells were further infected with GAS at MOI = 5 for 30 min, and gentamicin was added to kill extracellular bacteria. Cells were collected at 1 and 6 h postinfection. The colony-forming assay was performed, and the fold values of GAS replication were calculated by normalizing the GAS count at 6 h with that at 1 h postinfection (lower panel). Data represent the means ± SD of results from three independent experiments. **, P < 0.01. (B) A549 cells were transfected with pcDNA-HA or pcDNA-Gal3-HA. Western blot analysis was used to detect the expression of Gal-3 and HA (upper panel). The transfected cells were further infected with GAS at MOI = 25 for 30 min, and gentamicin was added to kill extracellular bacteria. Cells were collected at 1 and 6 h postinfection. Bacteria were counted by colony-forming assay, and the fold values of GAS replication were calculated by normalizing the GAS count at 6 h with that at 1 h postinfection (lower panel). Data represent the means ± SD of results from three independent experiments. *, P < 0.05.