Pangenome of long-read sequenced isolates of globally sampled M. acridum

Metarhizium acridum is an entomopathogenic fungus with a sub-cosmopolitan distribution, mainly reported from tropical and subtropical regions. Due to its specificity for infecting Orthoptera insects, it is currently used as a commercial biological control product for locusts and grasshoppers in several countries. Here, we use long-read sequencing to assemble multiple independent genomes, which are subsequently merged together for a pangenome analysis of M.acridum. With cultured isolates that have been collected globally, inter-specific variability from a diverse set of samples can be novelly described.