Table 1. Primers used in this study ^a .

Primer set	Primer name	Sequence (5'-3')	Reference
Detection of RI integrated into groEL in S. epidermidis
a	S. epi groEL 1213-1232F	CTKGAAGAAGGTATYGTTGC	[15]
	int (I) 109-128F	CGTAAATCAGACGCTAAACA	[15]
b	int (I) 109-128F	CGTAAATCAGACGCTAAACA	[15]
	int (I) 1139-1122R	CTAAACTTGTGGGAAGCG	[15]
c	fusB531-559F	CGGATGGTCAATATGTAAAAAAAGGTGAC	[13]
	185 LA 3R	CTCACAGAGGTTCTATAATGTTGG	[15]
Detection of RI integrated into smpB in S. epidermidis
d	S.epi ssra407-429 (F)	TCAAGCACTTAAAGAAAAAGCGG	[16]
	int (III) 175–194F	GACGAGTTAGAGGGTATTGG	[16]
e	int (III) 175–194F	GACGAGTTAGAGGGTATTGG	[16]
	int (III) 1087–1068R	TACTAGGGTACAAATGACCG	[16]
f	fusB531-559F	CGGATGGTCAATATGTAAAAAAAGGTGAC	[13]
	S.epi sodium transporter 1146–1168F	TCTCACTATGGATTTAACTTCCG	[16]
Detection of RI integrated into rpsR in S. epidermidis
g	S epi rpsR 6-24F	AGGTGGACCAAGAAGAGGC	[15]
	int(II) 541-565F	GCTAAACGTAATAACTATTTAGAAG	[15]
h	int(II) 541-565F	GCTAAACGTAATAACTATTTAGAAG	[15]
	int 1061-1042R	GTGTGACGTAATGTGTGCGT	[15]
i	fusB531-559F	CGGATGGTCAATATGTAAAAAAAGGTGAC	[13]
	fusB LA-2R	AATACTCCTGGATGGCGT	[15]
Detection of RI integrated into groEL in S. capatis subsp. urealyticus (primer sets a and b also used)
j	fusB531-559F	CGGATGGTCAATATGTAAAAAAAGGTGAC	[13]
	cap-CWA-R	CYTCMTCTTCGTCAGGAT	This study
Sequencing of ScRIfusB (primer sets a, b, and j also used)
k	7778 PstI up2F	CGCTGATACCTTTGTTGAAC	This study
	fusBR	ACAATGAATGCTATCTCGACA	[13]
j	Sepi 2793up2F	AAAGTGCTGTATGGCGTG	This study
	ri17 284-265R	TCCATAGCATTTAATCCGTG	This study
Detection of the fusB-carrying plasmid pUB101 and its relatives
m	IS257 518-499R	ATATGACGGTGATCTTGCTC	[13]
	fusB 283-254R	AGGTAGTTCAAAAG	[13]
n	IS257 33-52F	GGATGTTATCACTGT	[13]
	fusB 530-558F	CGGATGGTCAATATGTAAAAAAAGGTGAC	[13]
Detection and sequencing SCCfusC
o	orfX-uF	ACTTCGTCTTCGTCATTGG	This study
	hsdR_593R	CTCCAATAAAACATTTGTCCC	[17]
p (inverse PCR)	SAS0044dn382R	GGATTCAGAATGGTTTCC	[17]
	SAS0046_226R	AACCTTCGGTATCATCCG	This study
Sequencing of pseudo SCC and its flanking region
q (LA PCR)	fusC 162-183F	GGACTTTATTACATCGATTGAC	[13]
	fusC 572-550R	CTGTCATAACAAATGTAATCTCC	[13]
r (inverse PCR)	21429-helicase-R	CGGCTTGAAACTGTAACC	This study
	21429A-copBR	GTATGACAAGTATCGCAGCG	This study
s (inverse PCR)	copB-F	ATACGAGTTGGTGAAACCTTAC	This study
	TFGfusC 7914F	TAACGGTCATTTCACTCG	This study
t	MFS-transF	GAACAGATTTAGCAAAGTCAC	This study
	speG-7F	CTAAGAGCATTAGAGTATAGTG	[17]
u (inverse PCR)	up speG-R	GATTTGTATGAATGGCACTC	This study
	speG 408R	TGTTTTAAATCCTTGTGACTCG	[17]
v	speGR408R	TGTTTTAAATCCTTGTGACTCG	[17]
	hominis-afSCC-R	TTCTTCTGAAACTATCTGCTGG	This study

^a The positions of the primers are indicated in S1 Fig (fusB-carrying elements) or S2 Fig (fusC-carrying elements).