TABLE 1.

Primers used for PCR amplification^a

Target fragment of spaC	Primerb	Sequence (5′-3′)
Fragment encoding the full length	Er-1F	AGGATCCATGAAAAAGAAAAAACACCTATTTCCGAAAGTA
	Er-2R	GAAGCTTCTATTTTAAACTTCCATCGTTCTTAAATGCATA
Fragment encoding the N-terminal end	Er-1F	AGGATCCATGAAAAAGAAAAAACACCTATTTCCGAAAGTA
	Er-3R	CGGTTTCTTTTGATCACCCGGT
Fragment encoding the C-terminal end	Er-4F	TGTTGGATCCCCTGAAAGTCCTATTAAAGTA
	Er-5R	CTGTCTCGAGTTTTAAACTTCCATCGTTCTT

^aAll PCRs were started by initial denaturing at 94°C for 3 min, followed by 25 cycles of denaturation at 94°C for 45 s, annealing at 55°C for 1 min, and extension at 72°C for 2 min, with a final extension step at 72°C for 5 min. Primers were designed on the basis of spaC nucleotide sequence of E. rhusiopathiae strain 715 (serovar 18; GenBank accession number AB238210).

^bF, forward; R, reverse.