Table 1 List of strains used for this study

B. subtilis

 JABs24

trp+; ΔmanPA; sfp+

(Geissler et al. 2019)^a

 KM1016

trp+; ΔmanPA; sfp+;

amyE::[P_srfA-lacZ, spc]

(Hoffmann et al. 2021)

 CT2

trpC2, ΔcomX::kan

amyE::[P_srfA-lacZ, spc]

(Treinen et al. 2021)

 BKE03770

trpC2; ΔrapC::erm

BGSC^b (Koo et al. 2017)

 BKE37460

trpC2; ΔrapF::erm

BGSC^b (Koo et al. 2017)

 BKE06830

trpC2; ΔrapH::erm

BGSC^b (Koo et al. 2017)

 BKE11430

trpC2; ΔoppA::erm

BGSC^b (Koo et al. 2017)

 CT5

trp+; ΔmanPA; sfp+;

P_mtlA-comK-comS; ΔoppA;

This study

 CT10

trp+; ΔmanPA; sfp+;

P_mtlA-comK-comS; ΔrapC; amyE::[P_srfA-lacZ, spc]

This study

 CT11

trp+; ΔmanPA; sfp+;

P_mtlA-comK-comS; ΔrapF; amyE::[P_srfA-lacZ, spc]

This study

 CT12

trp+; ΔmanPA; sfp+;

P_mtlA-comK-comS; ΔrapH; amyE::[P_srfA-lacZ, spc]

This study

E. coli

 JM109

[F´, traD36, proA⁺B⁺lacI^qΔ(lacZ)M15], Δ(lac-proAB), supE44, λ⁻gyrA96, recA1, relA1, endA1, thi, hsdR17

Strain collection 150k^c

(Yanisch-Perron et al. 1985)