Table 4.

Expression stability ranking of the nine candidate reference genes.

Method	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9
(a) Ranking order under ALL sample (better–good–average)
geNorm	prs/secA		rnpA	16S	ilvD	ppc	petB	rimM	rnpB
NormFinder	prs	secA	ilvD	rnpA	16S	ppc	rimM	petB	rnpB
BestKeeper	secA	prs	16S	petB	rnpA	ilvD	ppc	rimM	rnpB
Comprehensive ranking	prs	secA	16S	rnpA	ilvD	petB	ppc	rimM	rnpB
(b) Ranking order under NTC condition (better–good–average)
geNorm	prs/secA		ppc	ilvD	16S	rnpA	petB	rnpB	rimM
NormFinder	secA	ppc	rnpA	prs	16S	ilvD	petB	rnpB	rimM
BestKeeper	16S	secA	rnpA	ppc	prs	ilvD	petB	rnpB	rimM
Comprehensive ranking	secA	ppc	prs	16S	rnpA	ilvD	petB	rnpB	rimM
(c) Ranking order under NaCl stress (better–good–average)
geNorm	ppc/prs		ilvD	rimM	rnpA	petB	secA	16S	rnpB
NormFinder	rimM	ilvD	rnpA	petB	prs	ppc	secA	16S	rnpB
BestKeeper	petB	rnpA	rimM	16S	prs	ilvD	ppc	secA	rnpB
Comprehensive ranking	rimM	rnpA	ilvD	petB	prs	ppc	16S	secA	rnpB
(d) Ranking order under HO stress (better–good–average)
geNorm	ppc/prs		ilvD	rnpA	secA	petB	rnpB	rimM	16S
NormFinder	rnpA	ilvD	ppc	prs	secA	petB	rnpB	rimM	16S
BestKeeper	rnpA	16S	secA	ilvD	ppc	petB	prs	rnpB	rimM
Comprehensive ranking	rnpA	ilvD	ppc	prs	secA	petB	16S	rnpB	rimM
(e) Ranking order under HL stress (better–good–average)
geNorm	prs/secA		petB	ppc	rnpA	ilvD	rimM	16S	rnpB
NormFinder	rnpA	prs	secA	rimM	ppc	ilvD	petB	16S	rnpB
BestKeeper	petB	prs	rnpA	secA	rimM	ppc	ilvD	16S	rnpB
Comprehensive ranking	prs	secA	petB	rnpA	ppc	rimM	ilvD	16S	rnpB