1% formic acid at a flow rate of 60 μL/min in 10 min. MS analysis was performed in positive ion mode with a mass window ranging from m/z 500–1400. Polymyxin treatment The Erwinia strains were treated with crude polymyxin P by the method described previously [51] with some modification. The crude polymyxin P (final concentration: 20 μg/mL) or GSC culture supernatant of M-1 (final concentration: 1% (v/v)) was added to LB cultures of the Erwinia strains at OD600nm of 0.1. After being inoculated at

28°C for 2 h, the suspensions were centrifuged at 4000 rpm for 5 min to collect bacteria which were then washed two times GW-572016 solubility dmso before observation by SEM. Scanning electron microscopy For analysis by SEM, cells were spinoculated on poly-lysine coated cover glasses and fixed with 2.5% glutaraldehyde/2% para-formaldehyde in 100 mM cacodylate buffer (pH 7.4) at 4°C overnight. After fixation cells were rinsed three times for 10 minutes with 100 mM cacodylate buffer, postfixed for 3 h in 1% osmiumtetroxide, rinsed again three times for 10 minutes with 100 mM cacodylate buffer and dehydrated through an ethanol series. After critical point drying, cells were coated with gold and analyzed on an LEO 1430 scanning electron microscope. Acknowledgements We are very thankful for technical support in preparing SEM pictures by Mrs. Drescher. We are indebted to Professor D. Naumann and Dr. P. Lasch from the Robert Koch –

Institut, Berlin, making available for us the Bruker Autoflex instrument to perform the MALDI-TOF measurements. Financial support AR-13324 order for the project was obtained in frame of the competence network Genome Research on Bacteria (GenoMikTransfer: “PATHCONTROL”) and the Chinese-German collaboration program by the German Ministry for Education and Research, BMBF, is gratefully 3-oxoacyl-(acyl-carrier-protein) reductase acknowledged. Q.W. and B.N. are grateful for financial support given by the “program for Changjiang scholars and innovative research team in university” (IRT1042). R.B. was supported by the EU-FP7-funded project “BIOFECTOR”. References 1. Ash C, Priest FG, Collins MD: Molecular identification of rRNA group 3 bacilli (Ash, Farrow, Wallbanks

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