Table 1. Sequences of the primers used in this study.

Primer	Sequence (5′ to 3′)	Target	Size (bp)
S1A	F: CGCCATATG(Nde I)CCTGGCAAAAAAAATTCCATA	sph1 gene expression	1674
	R: CCGCTCGAG(Xho I)ATGATGATAGATTAAATC
S1B	F: TTCCGACTCTTCAAATCCACG	sph1-mRNA detection	175
	R: TGCAATTCTTTGTGCCCTTTC
S2A	F: CGCCATATG(Nde I)ATAAACAAAATAACA	sph2 gene expression	1869
	R: CCGCTCGAG(Xho I)GCGATAAATAAGATCCGC
S2B	F: GGTTGTGGAGCGGATTGGT	sph2-mRNA detection	104
	R: TCCTGAGACTGAGCGTGGG
S3A	F: CGCCATATG(Nde I)GATTCATTAGTATACAATAAA	sph3 gene expression	1557
	R: CCGCTCGAG(Xho I)ACGATAAATTAGATCCTTGC
S3B	F: ACGACCCTGATTCAGACACCTT	sph3-mRNA detection	100
	R: CCTCCTCTAAGCCACCAAGTCC
S4A	F: CGCCATATG(Nde I)AAAATGATACAAAATA	sph4 gene expression	717
	R: CCGCTCGAG(Xho I)TTCCTCAGGGCCTTCATTCAA
S4B	F: GCAGATCCTGAACGACCTGAC	sph4-mRNA detection	171
	R: TCCAAGCCACCAATTCCAATA
HA1	F: CGCCATATG(Nde I)TCATTAGCTCCGATTGCA	hlpA gene expression	939
	R: CGCCTCGAG(Xho I)GAGCAAATTAGATTTGTC
HA2	F: ACGAATACGATGTGGATTTGAGTT	hlpA-mRNA detection	185
	R: CTGGCCAAATTCTCGTTTTTATAC
HC1	F: CGCCATATG(Nde I)GAATTAATCGGCTTTTTTATA	hlyC gene expression	1332
	R: CGCCTCGAG(Xho I)TTTTTTAGACTGAGCTCG
HC2	F: GTTCACGGTTTGGCGATTACTAT	hlyC-mRNA detection	118
	R: ATAAAAAGTGCAATCGTTTCCGT
HX1	F: CGCCATATG(Nde I)GTCGAAGCGCTGTCTGTC	hlyX gene expression	1176
	R: CGCCTCGAG(Xho I)ATCCAATTTTTCGGTTTC
HX2	F: ATGGGAAGAGCACTTGAAAGAAAC	hlyX-mRNA detection	169
	R: TCTAAATGACCTTTTCCTTCTTCG
TA1	F: CGCCATATG(Nde I)TTTCCACAGAAGAAGAAC	tlyA gene expression	828
	R: CGCCTCGAG(Xho I)TAAGTTCCAAAACAAAAG
TA2	F: CTTCTACGGGAGGATTTACGCA	tlyA-mRNA detection	177
	R: ATAAAAAGTGCAATCGTTTCCGT
16S	F: CTTTCGTCGCCTCAGCGTCAGT	I6 S rRNA as the inner	145
	R: CGCAGCCTGCACTTGAAACTA	reference in RT-qPCR

F: forward primer. R: reverse primer.