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Gene regulation in Streptococcus pneumoniae - RePub - Erasmus ...

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Figure 3. Colonization model. Bacterial loads <strong>in</strong> the nasal lavage fluid of mice <strong>in</strong>fected with (A) D39 wild-type,<br />

ΔglnA or ΔglnR and, (B) D39 wild-type, ΔglnP, ΔglnAP, and ΔgdhA. * <strong>in</strong>dicates P < 0.05.<br />

Contribution of the GlnR-regulon to pneumonia<br />

In the pneumonia model the <strong>in</strong>fection is monitored at three dist<strong>in</strong>ct sites, i.e., the<br />

nasopharynx, the lungs, and the blood compartment. This model allows assessment of the two<br />

ends of the spectrum of pneumococcal <strong>in</strong>fection, i.e., the progression from nasopharyngeal<br />

colonization to <strong>in</strong>vasive disease.<br />

GlnR-regulon and pneumococcal virulence<br />

In agreement with the colonization model, we observed that <strong>in</strong> the pneumonia model,<br />

mice <strong>in</strong>fected with the glnA-mutant or the glnA-glnP double mutant had lower numbers of<br />

bacteria <strong>in</strong> the nasal lavage fluid at 36 post-<strong>in</strong>fection than wild-type <strong>in</strong>fected mice, while<br />

bacterial loads <strong>in</strong> mice <strong>in</strong>fected with ΔglnR, ΔglnP or ΔgdhA did not differ from wild-type<br />

<strong>in</strong>fected mice (data not shown).<br />

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