Table 1 Bacterial strains and plasmids used in this study

E. coli strains

DH5α

F^– Φ80d/lac ZΔM15, Δ(lacZYA-argF) U169, recA 1, endA 1, hsdR 17 (r_K^–, m_K⁺), phoA, supE 44, λ^–, thi-1, gyrA 96, relA 1

Laboratory stock

B. licheniformis strains

WX-02

CCTCC M208065, wild type

Laboratory stock [14]

WX-02 Δbud C

bud C knock-out mutant of WX-02

This study

WX-02 Δbud C/pHYbud C

plasmid-based bud C complementation strain of WX-02 Δbud C by introduction of pHYbud C, Tc^r

This study

Plasmids

T2(2)-ori

E. coli-B. licheniformis shuttle vector, ori_pUC/ori_ts, temperature-sensitive, Kan^r

Laboratory stock

T2Δbud C

T2(2)-ori derivative containing homologous arms for bud C knock-out

This study

pHY300PLK

E. coli-B. licheniformis shuttle vector, Ap^r(E. coli), Tc^r(E. coli and B. licheniformis)

TaKaRa

pHYbud C

pHY300PLK derivative containing bud C, P43 promoter and TamyL (amyL terminator), Ap^r(E. coli), Tc^r(E. coli and B. licheniformis)

This study