Table 1 Bacterial strains and plasmids used in this study

 DH5α

supE44 ΔlacU169(Φ80lacZΔM15) hsdR17 recA1 endA1 gyrA96 thi-1 relA1

[49]

 BL21

For protein expression

Novagen

 PXO99^A

Wildtype strain, Philippine race 6

Lab collection

 ∆fliTX

fliTX gene deletion mutant derived from PXO99^A

This study

 ∆fliTX-C

Complementary strain of ∆fliTX, Ap^r

This study

 ∆rpoN2

rpoN2 gene deletion mutant derived from PXO99^A, Gm^r

Our lab

 ∆rpoN2-C

Complementary strain of ∆rpoN2, Ap^r

Our lab

 ∆fleQ

fleQ gene deletion mutant derived from PXO99^A, Gm^r

Our lab

 ∆fleQ-C

Complementary strain of ∆fleQ, Ap^r

Our lab

 ∆fliA

fliA gene deletion mutant derived from PXO99^A, Gm^r

Our lab

 ∆fliA-C

Complementary strain of ∆fliA, Ap^r

Our lab

 pMD18-T

Cloning vector, Ap^r

TaKaRa, Tokyo

 pKMS1

Suicidal vector carrying sacB gene for non-marker mutagenesis, Km^r

[45]

 pBBR1MCS-4

Broad-host range expression vector, Ap^r

[50]

 pHT304BZ

Promoterless lacZ vector, Ap^r

[41]

 pHTpS

pHT304BZ derivative carrying the promoter region of fliS, Ap^r

This study

 pHM1

Broad-host range expression vector, Sp^r

[42]

 pH-fliSp-lacZ

pHM1 derivative carrying the promoter region of fliS and promoterless lacZ, Sp^r

This study

 pET-28a

Expression vector to generate a N-terminal His₆ tag, Km^r

Haigene

 pET-fliTX

pET-28a derivative carrying fliTX, Km^r

This study

 pPROBE-AT

broad-host-range vector carrying a promoter-less gfp gene, Ap^r

[47]

 pPhrpG

pPROBE-AT derivative carrying the promoter region of hrpG and promoterless gfp, Ap^r

This study

 pPhrpX

pPROBE-AT derivative carrying the promoter region of hrpX and promoterless gfp, Ap^r

This study

 pPhpa1

pPROBE-AT derivative carrying the promoter region of hpa1 and promoterless gfp, Ap^r

Our lab