Table 1 Strains and plasmids used in this study

EIB202

Wild type (CCTC No. M 208068) carrying pEIB202, Col^r, Cm^r, Str^r

[33]

EIB202-lacZ ⁺

EIB202, insert a lacZ in glmS, Col^r, Str^r

Lab collection

EIB202 ∆P

EIB202, pEIB202 cured, Col^r

[41]

∆esrB

EIB202, in-frame deletion of esrB, Col^r, Cm^r, Str^r

[20]

∆topA

EIB202, in-frame deletion of topA, Col^r, Cm^r, Str^r

This study

∆p007

EIB202, in-frame deletion of p007, Col^r, Cm^r, Str^r

This study

∆virB9

EIB202, in-frame deletion of virB9, Col^r, Cm^r, Str^r

This study

esrB ⁺

EIB202, ∆esrB, containing pAKgfp1::flag-esrB, Col^r, Carb^r

Lab collection

topA ⁺

EIB202, ∆topA, containing pAKgfp1::topA, Col^r, Carb^r

This study

p007 ⁺

EIB202, ∆p007, containing pAKgfp1::p007, Col^r, Carb^r

This study

virB9 ⁺

EIB202, ∆virB9, containing pAKgfp1::virB9, Col^r, Carb^r

This study

∆P::pNQ705K

EIB202 ∆P with pNQ705K inserted in downstream of glms, Col^r, Km^r

This study

DH5α λpir

Δ (lacZYA-argF) U169 (Φ80 LacZ ΔM15), pir dependent R6K.

Lab collection

SM10 λpir

thi thr leu tonA lacY supE recA::RP4–2-Tc::Mu, pir dependent R6K, Km^r

Lab collection

BB170

Vibrio harveyi, reporter strain, Carb^r

Lab collection

∆T6SS

Vibrio alginolyticus, T6SS genes were deleted, Carb^r

Lab collection

pMPR

Mariner transposon plasmid, pir dependent R6K, Gm^r, Carb^r

Lab collection

pAKgfp1

pBBRMCS4 with gfpmut3a

Lab collection

pNQ705

Suicide plasmid, pir dependent R6K, Cm^r

[53]

pNQ705K

pNQ705 derivative with Km fragment inserted in SalI site, Cm^r, Km^r

This study

pNQ705K-glmS

pNQ705K derivative with glmS fragment inserted in XbaI site, Cm^r, Km^r

This study

pDM4

Suicide plasmid, pir dependent, R6K, sacBR, Cm^r

[54]

pDMK

pDM4 derivative with Km fragment inserted in SalI site, Km^r, Cm^r

[25]

pD43B

pDMK derivative with virB10 and gyrB fragment inserted in XbaI site, Km^r, Cm^r

This study

p34S-Km

Cloning vector, Km^r

[55]