Haemophilus influenzae genetic mapping for intracellular invasion. Haemophilus influenzae strain:TREP

The goal of the study was to use natural transformation, laboratory selection, and DNA sequencing to identify genetic factors responsible for natural phenotypic variation. In particular, we examined the medically important phenotype of intracellular invasion, identifying the genetic differences that make a donor strain (86-028NP) highly invasive compared to two recipient strains (Rd and Hi375). The relevance of the study is two-fold: (1) Providing a general framework for genetic mapping in naturally competent bacteria, and (2) understanding the genetic architecture of intracellular invasion.