TABLE 2.
Strains and plasmids used in this study
| Strain or plasmid | Relevant characteristics | Reference or source |
|---|---|---|
| N. meningitidis strains | ||
| MC58 | Clinical isolate, sequenced strain | 56 |
| Δhfq | Hfq null mutant of MC58, Cmr | This study |
| Δhfq_C | Complemented Hfq mutant expressing Hfq from an IPTG-inducible Ptac promoter, Cmr Eryr | This study |
| 2996 | Clinical isolate | 10 |
| 2996Δhfq | Hfq null mutant of 2996, Cmr | This study |
| E. coli strains | ||
| DH5-α | supE44 hsdR17 recA1 endA1 gyrA96 thi-1 relA1 | 21 |
| BL21(DE3) | hsdS gal (λcIts857 ind1 Sam7 nin5 lacUV5-T7 gene 1) | 53 |
| Plasmids | ||
| pGEMT | Cloning vector, Ampr | Promega |
| pΔhfqko:Cm | Construct for generating knockout of the hfq gene | This study |
| pFlaEryPind | Complementation vector for integration of the gene of interest under control of an inducible Ptac promoter into the chromosome of MC58 derivative strains between the NMB1074 and NMB1075 converging genes, Ampr Eryr | This study |
| pFlaPindHfq | Derivative of pFlaEryPind with the hfq gene cloned as an NdeI-NsiI fragment downstream of the Ptac promoter, Ampr Eryr | This study |
| pET15b | Expression vector for N-terminal His-tagged proteins | Invitrogen |
| pET15hfq | pET15b derivative for expression of recombinant Hfq protein | This study |