Table 2 Primers used for mutant construction and complementation in this study

lsp1-F1

GGGGTACCACGCCCTCGCACGCCTTCGC (KpnI)

To amplify a 1072-bp upstream homologue arm of lsp1

lsp1-R1

CCCAAGCTTCATCACCGCCGACGCCAAGT (HindIII)

lsp1-F2

CCCAAGCTTCGGCGAGGGTGAGGGCAAGC (HindIII)

To amplify a 638-bp downstream homologue arm of lsp1

lsp1-R2

GCTCTAGACGGCAGCGGATAGCGGAAGT (XbaI)

lsp2-F1

GGGGTACCTTCTGCCCGTGCTGCCTGTT (KpnI)

To amplify a 788-bp upstream homologue arm of lsp2

lsp2-R1

CCCAAGCTTCTGGGGCATCGTCGCTGAAG (HindIII)

lsp2-F2

CCCAAGCTTTCGTAGGCGGCGGCGGAGGT (HindIII)

To amplify a 875-bp downstream homologue arm of lsp2

lsp2-R2

GCTCTAGACTGCTGTGGGTCGGCGTGCT (XbaI)

lsp3-F1

GGGGTACCTCGCTGGAGTGGGGAGGCAT (KpnI)

To amplify a 553-bp upstream homologue arm of lsp3

lsp3-R1

CCCAAGCTTGCGTCGGTGTGCTGCTCAAG (HindIII)

lsp3-F2

CCCAAGCTTCGGCTTCCAGGTAGGTGTAG (HindIII)

To amplify a 379-bp downstream homologue arm of lsp3

lsp3-R2

GCTCTAGAGCGGCAACTCCAACAAGACC (XbaI)

lsp1-F

GGGGTACCGGTCTCGGCTCGCATCGGTC (KpnI)

To amplify a 1275-bp fragment containing intact lsp1 and its predicted promoter

lsp1-R

CCCAAGCTTGCGAGCAGAAGCCCGAGTAC (HindIII)

lsp2-F

CCCAAGCTTCAAGAAGACCGCCAAGACCG (HindIII)

To amplify a 1591-bp fragment containing intact lsp2 and its predicted promoter

lsp2-R

GCTCTAGAGACCACCAGGACGGCGAATG (XbaI)

lsp3-F

GCTCTAGAAGAATGTCGGCGTCGTCGTC (XbaI)

To amplify a 1247-bp fragment containing intact lsp3

lsp3-R

GGGGTACCTGGGGCGATGGAAGCAAGGG (KpnI)

Gm-F

GTTAGGTGGCGGTACTTGGGTCG

To amplify a 500-bp DNA fragment of the gentamycin-resistance gene

Gm-R

ATGTTACGCAGCAGCAACGATGT