TABLE 1.

Bacterial strains and plasmid used in this study

Strain or plasmid	Genotype or description	Source or reference
Strains
MC4100	araD139 Δ(argF-lac)U169 rpsL150 relA1 flbB5301 deoC1 ptsF25 rbsR	Laboratory stock
MIR401	MC4100 ΔhchA	19
RH90	MC4100 rpoS359::Tn10	14
MIR510	MC4100 λφ(hchA::lacZ)	20
MIR512	MC4100 rpoS359::Tn10 λφ(hchA::lacZ)	20
MIR514	MC4100 hns::cat λφ(hchA::lacZ)	20
MIR516	MC4100 rpoS359::Tn10 hns::cat λφ(hchA::lacZ)	20
Plasmids
ptetA3	pACYC184 derivative containing the tetA followed by MCS, Catr	This work
pMM114	ptetA3 derivative encoding hchA gene under the control of tetracycline-inducible tetA promoter, Catr	This work