Expression analysis of a full SlrV locus 1 knockout in Haemophilus influenzae strain PittII

Investigation of whole genome gene expression differences between a full (four-gene) SlrV locus 1 deletion compared to the WT PittII strain. Removal of the four SlrV genes (aka macrophage survival factors : Δmsf) results in a competetive defect with the WT strain in in vitro biofilms and in the otitis media chinchilla model. It also results in an inability to persist within macrophages long-term in vitro and to escape from the middle-ear space and infect other sites in the chinchilla model. WT and Δmsf strains were grown in a chemically defined media (CDM) to early stationary phase (OD ~1.0). RNA was extracted from two separate cultures (biological replicates). 3-13 probes represent each subcluster(gene) and two replicate probe sets are included on each custom NTHi supragenome chip (technical replicates) thus under each sampling condition 4 separate values are obtained per strain and used for WT:Msf-KO comparisons.