Table 1. Relative germination rates of the Pks1 mutants of seven Metarhizium species, and their respective wild-type strains (WT), under three abiotic stresses.

Within the same abiotic stress treatment, values for the same species that are followed by different letters are significantly different (P < 0.05, Tukey’s test in a One-way ANOVA). All assays were repeated three times with three replicates per repeat.

	UV radiation		Heat stress		Cold stress
	WT	ΔPks1-#1	WT	ΔPks1-#1	WT	ΔPks1-#1
M. robertsii	Ref 171	Ref 171	0.47±0.03a	0.71±0.13b	2.16±0.15a	2.42±0.33a
M. anisopliae	0.21±0.04a	0.47±0.01b	0.40±0.07a	0.49±0.11a	2.92±0.17a	2.96±0.21a
M. brunneum	0.27±0.03a	0.38±0.02b	1.16±0.14a	1.35±0.21a	2.17±0.12a	2.09±0.09a
M. guizhouense	0.33±0.03a	0.33±0.01a	0.69±0.04a	1.46±0.23b	3.02±0.11a	2.64±0.34a
M. majus	0.27±0.03a	0.16±0.03b	2.23±0.41a	2.44±0.58a	2.59±0.11a	1.44±0.1b
M. acridum	0.47±0.02a	0.52±0.1a	0.16±0.02a	0.09±0.01a	2.47±0.04a	2.42±0.24a
M. album	0.38±0.04a	0.36±0.09a	1.86±0.04a	5.10±0.49b	1.61±0.03a	3.30±0.20b

Note:

1: Data published in reference 17; deletion of the Pks1 gene significantly reduced the tolerance of M. robertsii to UV radiation.

The numerical values in the table: the relative germination inhibition of a given stressor on each strain was calculated as (Gc-Gt)/ Gc, where Gc and Gt denote the GT₅₀ (Time taken for 50% of conidia to germinate) of the stressed and unstressed conidia, respectively.