Figure 6.
A. fumigatus ΔatmA and ΔatrA are still virulent. Comparative analysis of wild-type and mutant strains in a neutropenic murine model of pulmonary aspergillosis. Mice in groups of 10 per strain were infected intranasally with a 20 μl suspension of conidia at a dose of 105 conidia. (A) Percent survival of ΔatmA1 and ΔatmA2 mutants compared to the wild-type strain. (B) Percent survival of ΔatrA1 and ΔatrA2 mutants compared to the wild-type strain. (C) Fungal burden quantification, determined by quantitative polymerase chain reaction from lungs obtained 72 hr postinfection. Results are expressed based on quantification of the 18S rRNA gene of A. fumigatus divided by the quantification of an intronic region of the mouse GAPDH gene. PBS, phosphate-buffered saline.