Cell morphology and formation of aggregates in EcN wild-type and K5 capsule mutants.

<p> The potential for alterations in cell-cell interaction, and the general cell morphology of EcN WT and capsule mutants was examined by phase contrast microscopy. 16h cultures were examined directly by phase contrast microscopy, to assess cell morphology and the potential for cellular aggregation in EcN WT and capsule mutants. 9 fields of view were selected at random for each slide examined, and subsequently reviewed as a collection to identify the pervading features. Images provide representative examples from assessment of each strain. EcN WT—<i>E</i>. <i>coli</i> Nissle 1917 wild-type; KpsT-Tn<i>5</i>—EcN JNBF17 mini-Tn5 mutant disrupted in the K5 <i>kpsT</i> gene (<a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0120430#pone.0120430.t001" target="_blank">Table 1</a>); EcNΔ<i>kfiB</i>—EcN <i>kfiB</i> deletion mutant; EcNΔ<i>kfiC</i>—EcN <i>kfiC</i> deletion mutant. Images are at 40× magnification and represent entire fields of view.