Since the ability of the Ganetespib mutant to form learn more pustules seemed impaired (Table 1), we increased the dose of the mutant in subsequent iterations, as per protocol. In the second iteration, volunteers were inoculated with 65 CFU of the parent and 66, 131, and 262 CFU of the mutant (Table 1). In the third iteration, the volunteer was infected with 67 CFU of 35000HP and 240, 480, and 961 CFU of the mutant (Table 1). In the fourth iteration, volunteers were inoculated with 54

CFU of the parent and 104, 208 and 415 CFU of the mutant (Table 1). Table 1 Response to inoculation of live H.ducreyi strains Volunteer Gendera Days of Observation Isolateb Dose (cfu) No. of Initial Papules No. of Pustules 333 F 14 P 61 3 1       M 63-249 2 0 334 M 9 P 61 3 0       M 63-249 2 0 335 M 7 P 61 3 Baf-A1 in vivo 1       M 63-249 3 0 336 F 6 P 65 0 0       M 66-261 3 0 337 M 7 P 65 0 0       M 66-261 1 0 338 F 8 P 65 3 2       M 66-261 0 0 341 M 8 P 67 3 2       M 240-961 3 2c 342 F 7 P 54 3 3       M 104-415 3 0 343 M 6 P 54 3 3       M 104-415 2 0 344 M 7 P 54 3 2       M 104-415 2 0 a, F = female, M = male; b, P = parent, M = mutant The overall papule formation rate for the parent was 80% (95% confidence interval, CI, 55.2%-99.9%) at 30 sites and for the mutant was 70.0% (95% CI, 50.5%-89.5%) at 30 sites (P = 0.52).

Mutant papules were significantly smaller (mean, 11.2 mm2) than were parent papules (21.8 mm2) 24 h after inoculation (P = 0.018). The overall pustule formation rates were 46.7% (95% CI 23.7-69.7%) at 30 parent sites and 6.7% (95% Progesterone CI, 0.1-19.1%) at 30 mutant sites (P = 0.001). Mutant pustules formed at only two sites in one volunteer. These results indicate that expression of one or more of the flp1, flp2, and flp3 genes in the context of the intact secretion/assembly complex is necessary for H. ducreyi to initiate disease and progress to pustule formation in humans. H. ducreyi was recovered intermittently from surface cultures. Of the

30 sites that were inoculated with the parent, 11 (36.7%) yielded at least one positive surface culture, while 3 of 30 mutant sites (10.0%) yielded a positive surface culture (P = 0.019). All colonies recovered from sites inoculated with the parent (n = 626) or the mutant (n = 39) and colonies from the parent (n = 142) and mutant (n = 143) inocula were tested for the presence of flp1-flp2-flp3 and fgbA sequences by colony hybridization. The fgbA probe hybridized to all the colonies, while the flp1-2-3 probe hybridized only to the colonies obtained from the parent inoculated sites or the parent inocula. Thus, there was no cross contamination of mutant and parent sites during the course of the trial.