Table 1 Strains and plasmids used in this study.

PA strains

 PAO1

Wild-type prototroph

This lab

 PA-ΔJP1

ΔlasI derivative of PAO1, Tcr

ref. 1

 PA-ΔlasI

ΔlasI derivative of PAO1

This study

 PA-ΔrhlI

ΔrhlI derivative of PAO1

This study

 PA-ΔlasIrhlI

ΔlasI derivative of PA-ΔrhlI

This study

E. coli strains

 DH5α

F-, Φ80dlacZΔM15,recA1,endA1,gvrA96,thi-1,hsdR17 (rK−, M+) supE44, relA1,deoR, Δ(lacZYA-argF)U169,Ap^S,Km^S

This lab

 SM10λpir

thi1, thr1, leuB6, supE44, tonA21, lacY1, recA::RP4-2-Tc::Mu λpir Km^R

ref. 2

Plasmids

 pMD18T

ori (ColE1) Ap^r

TaKaRa

 pUC19

ori (ColE1) Ap^r

TaKaRa

 pCVD442

R6K ori, mobRP4, bla, sacB

ref. 3

 pDS132

Derived from pCVD442, without IS1 sequences. bla gene replaced by the cat gene, C^R

ref. 4

 pMD18-mob

2.2 kb mob fragment from pCVD442 TA cloned into pMD18T, Ap^r

This study

 pMD18GM

0.83 kb aaCC1 fragment from pBBR-LuxAB cloned into pMD18T, GM^r

This study

 pBBR-LuxAB

luxAB, tra−, mob+, Gm^r

ref. 5

 pMD18AB

pMD18 with 1.1 kb upstream of lasI and 1 kb downstream of it, Ap^r

This study

 pUC19CD

pUC19 with 1.1 kb upstream of rhlI and 0.95 kb downstream of it, Ap^r

This study

 pG-ΔlasI

832 bp GM^r fragment from plasmid LuxAB cloned into pMD18BA, GM^r, Ap^r

This study

 pGS-ΔlasI

1.8 kb sacB fragment from pCVD442 cloned into pG-ΔlasI, GM^r, Ap^r

This study

 pGSM-ΔlasI

2.2 kb mob fragment from pCVD442 cloned into pGS-ΔlasI, GM^r, Ap^r

This study

 pG-ΔrhlI

832 bp GM^r fragment from plasmid pBBR-LuxAB cloned into pUC19CD, GM^r, Ap^r

This study

 pGS-ΔrhlI

1.8 kb sacB fragment from pCVD442 cloned into pG-ΔrhlI, GM^r, Ap^r

This study

 pGSM-ΔrhlI

2.2 kb mob fragment from pCVD442 cloned into pGS-ΔrhlI, GM^r, Ap^r

This study