Table 1 Bacterial strains and plasmids utilized in this study

Strains

Escherichia coli DH5α

Cloning host

[25]

Lactococcus lactis MG1363

Gram-positive bacterium

[28]

Carnobacterium maltaromaticum LV17B

Carnobacteriocin producer carrying pCP40

[29]

Carnobacterium maltaromaticum LV17C

C. maltaromaticum LV17B derivative lacking pCP40

[29]

Plasmids

pUC18

E. coli cloning vector, Amp^r

[25]

pNZ273

L. lactis promoter screening vector, gusA reporter, Cm^R

[24]

pIL253

L. lactis expression vector, cloned genes are transcribed from the rep promoter, Em^R

[23]

pK194

E. coli cloning vector, Km^R

[30]

pLQB14

pK194 carrying the 14-kbp Bam H1 fragment of pCP40

This study

pCbnKR

pUC18 with cbnK-cbnR insert, Amp^R

This study

pBRKR

pIL253 expressing cbnK-cbnR, Em^R

This study

pBRKA239R

pBRKR derivative with His 239 of CbnK replaced by Ala, Em^r

This study

pBRKRN62

pBRKR derivative with Asp 62 of CbnR replaced by Asn, Em^r

This study

pLQPBM1

pNZ273 with PBM1 promoter upstream of gusA, Cm^R

This study

pLQPB

pNZ273 with PB promoter upstream of gusA, Cm^R

[19]

pLQPS

pNZ273 with PS promoter upstream of gusA, Cm^R

[19]