The role of a Brucella abortus lipoprotein in intracellular replication and pathogenicity in experimentally infected mice

► Brucella abortus lipoprotein mutant did not replicate within phagocytes. ► The lipoprotein mutant showed different phagocytic pathway from that of wild-type. ► The virulence of lipoprotein mutant was lower than that of wild-type in mouse. ► The lipoprotein mutant induces protective immunity against B. abortus 544 in mice.