Table 1.

Plasmids and bacterial strains used in this study

Strain or plasmid	Relevant characteristics a	Reference or source
Bacterial strains
V. vulnificus
M06–24/O	Clinical isolate; virulent; WT	Laboratory collection
ML05	MO6–24/O ΔVvpM; Kmr; VvpM mut	Lee et al., 2013 [22]
E. coli
DH5α	λ− ϕ80dlacZΔM15 Δ (lacZYA-argF)U169 recA1 endA1 hsdR17 (rK− mK−) supE44 thi-1 gyrA relA1; plasmid replication	Laboratory collection
S17–1λpir	λ-pir lysogen; thi pro hsdR hsdM+ recA RP4–2 Tc::Mu-Km::Tn7;Tpr Smr; host for π-requiring plasmids; conjugal donor	Simon et al., 1983 [23]
Plasmids
pDM4	R6K γ ori sacB; suicide vector; oriT of RP4; Cmr	Milton et al., 1996 [24]
pRK415	IncP ori, broad-host-range vector; oriT of RP4; Tcr	Keen et al., 1988 [25]
pKK1535	pRK415 with VvpM; Tcr	This study

^a Km^r, kanamycin resistant; Tp^r, trimethoprim resistant; Sm^r, streptomycin resistant; Cm^r, chloramphenicol resistant; Tc^r, tetracycline resistant