Table 3 Bacterial strains and plasmids used

Escherichia coli

DH5α

supE 44, ΔlacU 169, f 80, lacZ ΔM, recA 1, endA 1, gyrA 96, thi 1, relA 1, 5hsdR 171

Bethesda Research Lab^®

S17.1

thi, pro, recA, hsdR, hsdM, Rp4Tc::Mu, Km::Tn7; Tp^r, Sm^r, Sp^r

[57]

Sinorhizobium meliloti

GR4

Wild type

[58]

QS77

GR4 (fadD::Tn5), Km^r

[16]

Rm1021

SU47 expR102::ISRm 2011-1, Sm^r

[59]

1021FDC5

Rm1021 (ΔfadD::Km), Sm^r Km^r

This work

1021FDCSS

Rm1021 (ΔfadD::SmSp), Sm^r Sp^r

This work

Rm2011

SU47expR102::ISRm 2011-1, Sm^r

[60]

2011FDC

Rm2011 (ΔfadD::SmSp), Sm^r Sp^r

This work

SmA818

Rm2011 pSymA cured, Sm^r

[61]

A818FDC

SmA818 (ΔfadD::SmSp), Sm^r Sp^r

This work

2011rhbA62

Rm2011 (rhbA:: Tn5lac), Sm^r Rif^r Nm^r

[30]

2011rhbAFDC

2011rhbA62 (ΔfadD::SmSp), Sm^r Sp^r Rif^r Nm^r

This work

2011rhbE11

Rm2011 (rhbE:: Tn5lac), Sm^r Rif^r Nm^r

[30]

2011rhbEFDC

2011rhbE11 (ΔfadD::SmSp), Sm^r Sp^r Rif^r Nm^r

This work

2011rhrA26

Rm2011 (rhrA:: Tn5lac), Sm^r Rif^r Nm^r

[30]

2011rhrAFDC

2011rhrA26 (ΔfadD::SmSp), Sm^r Sp^r Rif^r Nm^r

This work

2011rhtA1

Rm2011 (rhtA:: Tn5), Sm^r Rif^r Nm^r

[30]

2011rhtAFDC

2011rhtA1 (ΔfadD::SmSp), Sm^r Sp^r Rif^r Nm^r

This work

G212rirA

Rm1021 (lac^-, rirA::Km), Sm^r Km^r

O'Connell, M.

G212rirAFDC

G212rirA (ΔfadD::SmSp), Sm^r Km^r

This work

Plasmids

pBSKS(+)

Cloning vector; Ap^r

Stratagene

pHP45Ω

Plasmid containing Sm/Sp cassette; Ap^r, Sm^r, Sp^r

[62]

pHP45Ω Km

Plasmid containing Km cassette; Ap^r, Km^r

[63]

pK18mobsacB

Suicide plasmid; Km^r

[51]

pBBRD4

pBBR1 MCS-3 derivative containing the fadD gene of S. meliloti GR4; Tc^r

[16]

pBSDIL12

pBSKS derivative containing the fadD gene of S. meliloti GR4; Ap^r

This work

pBS12.6Km

pBSDIL12 in which the fadD gene has been deleted and interrupted with a Km cassette; Ap^r Km^r

This work

pK18fadDCKm

pK18mobsacB carrying the fadD mutated version of pBS12.6Km;

This work

pK18fadDCSS

pK18fadDCKm in which the Km cassette interrupting the fadD gene has been substituted by a Sm/Sp cassette

This work