Host-Adaptation of Francisella tularensis Alters the Bacterium's Surface-Carbohydrates to Hinder Effectors of Innate and Adaptive Immunity
Figure 5
Host-adaptation of F. tularensis reduces complement activation.
MHB- or BHI-grown bacteria were incubated for 10 min or 1 hr with 25% normal mouse serum (NMS) or heat-inactivated (hi) NMS. Washed bacteria were probed by western blot first with a polyclonal Ab directed against mouse complement protein C3 and then for the F. tularensis OMP FopA; the α-C3 Ab was empirically-determined to be selective for the α-chain of murine C3. Results are representative of three independent experiments.