Table 2 Primers used in this study

lolB gene (mutant construction, confirmation and complementation)

 lolBF/lolBR

GGATCCAAATCGCCGCGCACGTGGGT/GAATTCAGGGCGAGAGCGTCCATTGG

Extracellular enzyme encoding genes (promoter analysis and RT-qPCR)

 engA gene

  844pstF/1002xbaR

AACTGCAGCCTGCGGACAGCGCGCAGGGGG/GCTCTAGAGCTCGACACCCGAGCGCGGTAA

  engAF/engAR

GTGTGAACGTGTTCGGCTTC/TCATGTCCTTCCAGTTGCGT

 manA gene

  61pstF/420xbaR

CTGCAGTTGGCCGCGCATGCGA /TCTAGAACA AGGTGG ACGCCGCAGAC

  manAF/manAR

AGTTCTACATGCGCGACAAC/CGTACATGTGCACGCTGAAA

 prt1 gene

  200pstF/512xbaR

AACTGCAGTGTCGCTGCGCCAGGAGCTGAC/GCTCTAGACGGATCGCCCCTGTTATCGATC

  prt1F/prt1R

CACCGCACAGACCCATCAGA/TTACCAGTTCCGGCCCCAAC

Stress tolerance related genes (promoter analysis and RT-qPCR)

 clpP gene

  1315XhoI/1689XbaI

CTCGAGGGGTTCATGGACGCCGCT/TCTAGATGTTGTGGCAGCGGCCTGTG

  clpPF/clpPR

AGATCCTGACCTTGCGTTCG/CTTGAAGTTGTCGCGTTCGG

 clpX gene

  114xhoF/440xbaR

CTCGAGGCGACCGATATCGACATCCA/TCTAGACCCAGTTACCCCACCCGATG

  clpXF/ clpXR

CTCGAGGAACTCGATGAGCC/AGCTCCACGCTTTCCATCTC

Putative lipoprotein encoding genes (RT-qPCR)

 0253F/0253R

GCAATTACCAGCTGCGCTAC/TTGGTGACATCCTCGAACGG

 0677F/0677R

GGCGACTTCAATTGCTACCG/GCACCAGTTTCCATAACGCC

 0679F/0679R

GCCGATTTCAACAAGGCCAA/TTCGTCGTTGGGAAAGGTCT

 0707F/0707 R

GGGTCATCGACCTGAGCTAC/CGCGTACCTCGACATTACCG

 1519F/1519R

GCCTACGTGTGGAACGAACA/CGGTCATGGTCGAACTGCAT

 1584F/1584R

CGACAGACGCTGTACGAAGA/TATTGACGCGTGCAAAGTGC

 3831F/3831R

TGAAGATCCACTGGGCCGTA/TTCGGGTTTCTGCTCGGTC

 4152F/4152R

CGCAATGTGCCATTGGTGAT/CTCCGTGGTATCGAACAGGC

16S rRNA gene (RT-qPCR)

  16SF/16SR

GTAAAGCGTGCGTAGGTGGT/CGTGCCTCAGTGTCAGTGT