Table 3 Primers used in this study

ATCGAGGATCCATGAAACTAATGACGTTATTG

For whole Plp protein, forward

ATCGAAGATC TTTGAAATTGAAATGACGCGAG

For whole Plp protein, reverse

GACACCTCACAATATGAAATAAAA

For truncated Plp protein, forward

TTTGAGCTGCGGGGCTTTGGTTGC

For truncated Plp protein, reverse

ATCGAGAGCTCGCAGAATCGTGACTGACGCCG

For insertional plp mutation, forward, with SacI site

GCTAGTCTAGAACGGATACCACCTCAGA

For insertional plp mutation, reverse, with XbaI site

GGGGAATTCTTATTCAAATTGAAATGACGCGAG

For plp complement, forward, with EcoRI site

GGGACCGGTGAATACCCATTTTTTATTTTTTC

For plp complement, reverse, with AgeI site

GTTGAATTCGTATTTTCTGCAATCGCCATG

For vah1 complement, forward, with EcoRI site

GGGACCGGTCTATTTTATAATAAATTGAATACCAT

For vah1 complement, reverse, with AgeI site

ATCGACTCGAGCTGGAGAAGATGTACTCTGCG

For allelic exchange rtxA mutation, flanking the 5' region, forward, with XhoI site

ATCGATCTAGACGTATCATCTACAGCTTTTGC

For allelic exchange rtxA mutation, flanking the 5' region, reverse, with XbaI site

ATCGATCTAGATTATATTAATCATGTCTTTTATGGG

For allelic exchange rtxA mutation, flanking the 3' region, forward, with XbaI site

ATCGAGAGCTCCTGATTGCCTAGCAGTAGCCC

For allelic exchange rtxA mutation, flanking the 3' region, reverse, with SacI site

CAGGAAACAGCTATGACCATGATTACG

For sequencing of the DNA fragment inserted in pCR2.1 TA-ligation site

CTACGGGCTTGAGCGTGACAATC

For sequencing of the DNA fragment inserted in pSUP202 AgeI site

GCTGTCCCTCCTGTTCAGCTACTGACGGGGTGGTGCG

For sequencing of the DNA fragment inserted in pNQ705-1 Multi-cloning site