Figure 3.

Edema Factor contributes to mechanical sensitivity induced by Bacillus anthracis infection. (A) C57BL/6 mice received subcutaneous footpad injection of Vehicle (PBS) (n=7) or 1×10⁶, 1×10⁷ or 1×10⁸ CFUs of B. anthracis Sterne (n=7-8). (B) C57BL/6 mice received subcutaneous footpad injection of Vehicle (PBS) (n=8), wild-type B. anthracis Sterne (1×10⁷ CFUs; n=8), or an isogenic mutant lacking EF (ΔEF, 1×10⁷ CFUs; n=8). Mechanical sensitivity of the ipsilateral footpad was measured using von Frey filaments. Statistical analysis: (A) Two-way ANOVA with Dunnett’s post-test. Vehicle vs. 1×10⁶ CFUs, **p < 0.01, ***p < 0.001. Vehicle vs. 1×10⁷ CFUs, ⁺⁺⁺p < 0.0001, ⁺⁺⁺⁺p < 0.0001. Vehicle vs. 1×10⁸ CFUs, ^###p < 0.0001, ^####p < 0.0001. (B) Two-way ANOVA with Tukey’s post-test. Vehicle vs. WT, *p < 0.05, **p < 0.01, ***p < 0.001,****p < 0.0001. WT vs. ∆EF, ⁺p < 0.05.