Insertional inactivation mutants were generated in 6 genes associated with decreased fitness in vivo (RS02090/lytR, RS02780 /yvqE, RS04065/dltA, RS06590/adcA), RS06895 and RS08410/mga) and tested individually against WT 5448 using an in vivo competitive infection assay in the murine skin and soft tissue model (see Material and methods). The gene discussed is DLAT; the disease is infection.