Type IV pilus retraction enables sustained bacteremia and plays a key role in the outcome of meningococcal sepsis in a humanized mouse model
Fig 5
Monocytes and neutrophils actively control the bacteremia induced by WT or ΔpilT strains.
(A) Grafted and (B) non-grafted SCID mice treated with cyclophosphamide (cyclo) and infected with 5x103 CFU of WT N. meningitidis or ΔpilT mutant. Bacteremia was assessed at 18 h post-infection by blood puncture. Mice were sacrificed at 72 h post-infection and graft bacterial load was measured by quantitative culture. Two independent experiments, with n = 6 mice in each group. Bars represent mean ± SEM. NS p > 0.05; * p < 0.05, one-way ANOVA followed by multiple comparison test.