FIG 1.

Effect of smu_833 deletion on bacterial growth and aggregation. (A) Growth of wild-type, smu_833 mutant, and complemented strains. Bacteria were grown statically in THB at 37°C with 5% CO₂, and the OD₄₇₀ was measured every hour for 8 h. (B and C) Visualization of cellular aggregation in the mutant with images of overnight cultures (B) and phase-contrast microscopy (C). (D) Phase-contrast microscopy after a 30-min DNase treatment of the mutant strain. The images are representative, but each was prepared in triplicate.