Fig. 3: Effect of degQ mutation on bacterial adherence on slide glasses.

Slide glasses were submerged in flasks containing the AB-fumarate broth inoculated by wild-type or ΔdegQ strains of V. vulnificus at an OD₅₉₅ of 0.2. After 5, 15, and 30 min, the bacterial cells attached on the slide glasses were stained with crystal violet and were counted under the light microscope. To differentiate the bacterial adherence via swimming motility or random contacts to slide glasses, a non-motile mutant of V. vulnificus, ΔflaABCD, was included as a negative control¹². Average numbers of adherent cells per a light-microscopic field (at least 18 fields observed) were presented with the error bars representing standard deviations (a). The P-values for comparison with wild type are indicated (Student’s t-test; **P < 0.005). Representative pictures of the slides adhered by three strains for 5, 15, and 30 min were presented (b).