(a) Quantification of the percentage of invasion of HMECs from 0–90 mpi, visualized by differential staining of extracellular versus total R. parkeri. Data are mean ± SEM (0, 20, 30, 60 min, n = 3; 5, 10, 15 min, n = 4; 90 min, n = 2; ≥85 bacteria were counted for each strain, infection and time-point; statistical comparisons between ompBSTOP::tn and WT for each time point were made by the unpaired Student’s t-test (two-sided); *, p < 0.05; **, p < 0.01). (b) Quantification of the percentage of WT and ompBSTOP::tn mutant bacteria that co-localize with polyubiquitin from 0–60 mpi. Data are mean ± SEM (0, 15, 30, 60 min, n = 3; 5, 10 min, n = 2; statistical comparisons between ompBSTOP::tn and WT were made by the unpaired Student’s t-test (two-sided); *, p < 0.05; **, p < 0.01; ≥85 bacteria were counted for each strain, infection and time point. (c) Immunofluorescence micrographs of HMECs infected with WT (upper panel), ompBSTOP::tn (middle panel), or with both WT and ompBSTOP::tn (lower panel), at 72 hpi stained for OmpB (green, anti-OmpB antibody), polyubiquitin (red; FK1 antibody), and DNA (blue; Hoechst). Scale bars, 2 μm. (d) Quantification of the mean percentage of WT and ompBSTOP::tn mutant bacteria in HMECs that have OmpB homogeneously distributed at the surface of each bacterium at 1 and 72 hpi (n = 2; for 1 hpi, ≥109 bacteria were counted per strain; for 72 hpi, ≥724 bacteria were counted per strain). (e) Quantification of the percentage of WT and ompBSTOP::tn mutant bacteria positive for polyubiquitin in HMECs infected with WT, ompBSTOP::tn, or co-infected with both. In the mixed infected, WT and ompBSTOP::tn bacteria were distinguished using the anti-OmpB antibody. Data are mean ± SEM (singly infected cells, n = 2; mixed infected cells, n = 3; ≥880 bacteria were counted for each infection). (f) Growth curves of WT and ompBSTOP::tn in HMECs from 0–96 hpi as measured by genomic equivalents using qPCR. Data are mean ± SEM (n = 3; means were not significantly different by an unpaired Student’s t-test (two-sided); 24 h, p > 0.99; 48 h, p = 0.10; 72 h, p > 0.99; 96 h, p = 0.40). (g) Growth curves of WT and ompBSTOP::tn in BMDMs from 0–96 hpi as in (f). Data are mean ± SEM (n = 4; statistical comparisons with WT were by the Mann-Whitney rank-sum test (two-sided); *, p < 0.05).