Table 1. Oligonucleotides used in this study.

Primer	Sequence (5′ to 3′)	purpose of use
BrF	TTC AGA AGT GGA GCA ATC	amplification of hcpA gene
BrR	ACA TAA TAA ACG AAT TTT AAT CTA TG	amplification of hcpA gene
BrBam	CAT TAT TGG ATC CGA ACT CTT AAG C	generation of expression plasmid
BrF1	AAA CAG GCT CAA TCA GCT C	amplification of hcpA gene
BrR1	TCT AGA TCA TTA AAG TTT GCA G	amplification of hcpA gene
BrSal	ACA TAA TAA ACG TCG ACT AAT CTA TG	generation of expression plasmid
Δ48Bam	CAG GCT GGA TCC TTT TTT CAA GAA TC	construction of deletion mutants
Δ78Bam	AA GAT GGA TCC CAA AAG ACA TTA AAC	construction of deletion mutants
Δ145Sal	TA TAA GTC GAC TTA TAT AGA GTT TAT TG C	construction of deletion mutants
Δ115Sal	AA AGA GTC GAC TTA GAT AAA CTT TAT CG	construction of deletion mutants
BrTBam	TTC AGA AGT GGA TCC ATC	construction of pBR
BrTSph	GGT AAT TAA TTA TGC ATG CAA TAA TTA ATT ATT TCA AG	construction of pBR