FIGURE 5.
Deletion of xprG and xprG/prtT, does not affect virulence in a neutropenic murine model of (A) pulmonary aspergillosis, (B) disseminated aspergillosis and (C) pulmonary fungal load in immunocompetent mice. Cortisone acetate plus cyclophosphamide (neutropenia model) were used to immunocompromise the infected mice (A,B). Survival curves are shown for mice infected (A) intranasally with an inoculum of 2.5 × 105 conidia per mouse (n = 10 mice/group) and (B) intravenously via the lateral tail vein with an inoculum of 2.5 × 105 conidia per mouse (n = 7 mice/group). These experiments were repeated twice with similar results. (C) Immunocompetent mice were infected intranasally with an inoculum of 1 × 107 conidia per mouse (n = 5 mice/group) and total lung fungal load (CFU/lung) assessed 24 and 48 h post-infection. (Additional histological analysis is presented in the Supplements- Supplementary Figure S6).