TABLE 1.
Bacterial strains and plasmid used in the study
| Strain or plasmid | Relevant characteristicsa | Source or reference |
|---|---|---|
| S. mutans | ||
| BM71 | Wild type, Ems, Kms | G. H. Bowden, University of Manitoba |
| SMCC-L1 | BM71::pComC-KO, ComC−, Emr, Kms | This study |
| SMCD-L1 | BM71::pComD-KO, ComD−, Emr, Kms | This study |
| SMCE-L1 | BM71::pComD-KO, ComE−, Emr, Kms | This study |
| Plasmid, pDL289b | E. coli/Streptococcus shuttle vector, Kmr | D. J. LeBlanc, Indiana University |
a
Em, erythromycin; Km, kanamycin.
b
pDL289 was used as donor DNA to confirm competence phenotype of all the mutants.