Evaluation of Reference Genes for Quantitative Real-Time PCR Analysis in Manila Clam Ruditapes philippinarum Under Hypoxic Stress

Quantitative real-time PCR(qRT-PCR)has been widely used for gene expression analysis,and selection of reference genes is a key point to obtain accurate results.To find out optimal reference genes for qRT-PCR in Manila clam Ruditapes philippinarum in response to hypoxia,different tissues were used and compared to evaluate the stability of candidate reference genes under low oxygen stress(DO 0.5mgL^(−1) and DO 2.0mgL^(−1))and normal condition(DO 7.5mgL^(−1)).Seven candidate reference genes were selected to evaluate the stability of their expression levels.The reference genes were evaluated by Delta Ct,BestKeeper,NormFinder and geNorm,and then screened by RefFinder calculation.Under hypoxic stress of 0.5mgL^(−1),the most suitable reference gene for gill and hepatopancreas was RPL31,and the optimal reference genes for axe foot and adductor muscle were TUB and HIS,respectively.For hypoxic stress of 2.0mgL^(−1),the most stable reference gene for gill and hepatopancreas was RPL31,and the optimal reference genes for axe foot and adductor muscle were RPS23 and EF1A,respectively.At the normal condition,HIS and EF1A were identified as the optimal internal reference genes in gill and hepatopancreas respectively,and GFRP2 was the best internal reference gene for axe foot and adductor muscle.The present findings will provide important basis for the selection of reference genes for qRT-PCR analysis of gene expression level in bivalves under hypoxic stress,which might be helpful for the analysis of other molluscs too.

Development and validation of a TaqMan^(TM) fluorescent quantitative real-time PCR assay for the rapid detection of Edwardsiella tarda

Edwardsiella tarda is one of the most important emerging pathogens in tile global aquaculture industries. As such, an accurate diagnosis and quantitative analytical methods are urgently needed for this bacterium. In this study, primers and a TaqMan probe specific to the conservative sequences of the 16S rRNA gene of E. tarda were designed. The concentration of primers and TaqMan probe were optimized to 200 nmol/L and 120 nmol/L, respectively. The detection sensitivity of the FQ- PCR assay was determined to be as low as five copies of the target sequence per reaction using the pGEM-16S rDNA recombinant plasmid as a template, which was 100 times more sensitive than conventional PCR. A standard curve by plotting the threshold cycle values （y） against the common logarithmic copies （logl0n~ as x; n~ is copy number） of pGEM-16S rDNA was generated. The results of intra- and inter-assay variability tests demonstrate that the established FQ-PCR method was highly reproducible. The assay was specific for E. tarda as it showed that there was no cross-reactivity to eight additional bacterial pathogen strains in aquaculture. Thus, the FQ-PCR assay has the potential for diagnostic purposes and for other applications, especially for the rapid detection and quantification of low-grade E. tarda infections.

TaqMan real-time fluorescent quantitative RT-PCR in detection of macrophage inflammatory protein-2γ mRNA in myocarditis murine

Objective: To study the role of macrophage inflammatory protein (MIP)-2γ in myocarditis pathogenesis in BALB/c mice. Methods: The relationship between the progression of Coxsarckie virus B3(CVB3) viral myocarditis and experimental autoimmune myocarditis and MIP-2γ mRNA expression in mouse was studied by TaqMan real-time fluorescent quantitative RT-PCR. Results: MIP-2γ mRNA expression rose on 3 to 5 d after CVB3 infection, reached peak on 7 d, and returned to normal level until 14 d, which corresponded well with the disease course. The MIP-2γ mRNA expression level rose significantly on the day 18 d after immunization with porcine cardiac myosin, which was consistent with pathological examination. Conclusion: MIP-2γ may be involved in the pathogenesis of myocarditis.

Real-time fluorescent quantitative PCR非特异性扩增的研究进展

Real-time fluorescent quantitative PCR(RT-qPCR)因其高效快速、操作简便、高度敏感等优点获得广泛应用,但因其强大的放大功能而容易出现非特异性扩增的问题,尤其是荧光染料法中更加明显。文章对RT-qPCR的原理、非特异性扩增的发生因素、解决方案及该技术的应用前景进行了综述。

Molecular diagnosis and direct quantification of cereal cyst nematode(Heterodera filipjevi) from field soil using TaqMan real-time PCR

Heterodera filipjevi continues to be a major threat to wheat production worldwide.Rapid detection and quantification of cyst nematodes are essential for more effective control against this nematode disease.In the present study,a TaqManminor groove binder(TaqMan-MGB)probe-based fluorescence quantitative real-time PCR(qPCR)was successfully developed and used for quantifying H.filipjevi from DNA extracts of soil.The primers and probe designed from the obtained RAPD-SCAR marker fragments of H.filipjevi showed high specificity to H.filipjevi using DNA from isolatesconfirmed species of 23 Heterodera spp.,1 Globodera spp.and 3 Pratylenchus spp.The qPCR assay is highly sensitive and provides improved H.filipjevi detection sensitivity of as low as 4^(-3) single second-stage juvenile(J2)DNAs,10^(-3) female DNAs,and 0.01μgμL^(-1) genomic DNAs.A standard curve relating to the threshold cycle and log values of nematode numbers was generated and validated from artificially infested soils and was used to quantify H.filipjevi in naturally infested field soils.There was a high correlation between the H.filipjevi numbers estimated from 32 naturally infested field soils by both conventional methods and the numbers quantified using the qPCR assay.qPCR potentially provides a useful platform for the efficient detection and quantification of H.filipjevi directly from field soils and to quantify this species directly from DNA extracts of field soils.

Establishment and Modification of Ninety-seven Pneumococcal Serotyping Assays Based on Quantitative Real-time Polymerase Chain Reaction

Objective To establish and modify quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction(qPCR)-based serotyping assays to distinguish 97 pneumococcal serotypes.Methods A database of capsular polysaccharide(cps)loci sequences was generated,covering 97 pneumococcal serotypes.Bioinformatics analyses were performed to identify the cps loci structure and target genes related to different pneumococcal serotypes with specific SNPs.A total of 27 novel qPCR serotyping assay primers and probes were established based on qPCR,while 27 recombinant plasmids containing serotype-specific DNA sequence fragments were constructed as reference target sequences to examine the specificity and sensitivity of the qPCR assay.A panel of pneumococcal reference strains was employed to evaluate the capability of pneumococcal serotyping.Results A total of 97 pneumococcal serotyping assays based on qPCR were established and modified,which included 64 serotypes previously reported as well as an additional 33 serotypes.Twenty-seven novel qPCR serotyping target sequences were implemented in the pneumococcal qPCR serotyping system.A total of 97 pneumococcal serotypes,which included 52 individual serotypes and 45 serotypes belonging to 20 serogroups,could not be identified as individual serotypes.The sensitivity of qPCR assays based on 27 target sequences was 1–100 copies/μL.The specificity of the qPCR assays was 100%,which were tested by a panel of 90 serotypes of the pneumococcal reference strains.Conclusion A total of 27 novel qPCR assays were established and modified to analyze 97pneumococcal serotypes.

TaqMan多重实时定量PCR快速检测3种常见食源性病原菌

建立一种可同时快速检测大肠杆菌O157:H7、单增李斯特菌和蜡样芽孢杆菌的多重实时定量PCR(qPCR)方法。依据大肠杆菌O157:H7 tir基因、单增李斯特菌mpl基因和蜡样芽孢杆菌entFM基因的保守序列分别设计特异性引物和TaqMan探针,建立多重qPCR反应体系,进行灵敏度、特异性和稳定性试验,同步检测人工染菌牛奶样品中的病原菌并与国家标准方法作对比。结果表明,建立的多重qPCR方法灵敏度高,最低检出限为12 CFU/mL;特异性强,只对3种目标菌进行PCR扩增;稳定性好,各重复性试验中Ct值的变异系数<1%;所有受污染样品阳性检出率均为100%,与国家标准方法检测结果一致,且检测周期缩短至6 h。本研究建立的TaqMan多重qPCR方法能同时快速、准确地检测乳品中的大肠杆菌O157:H7、单增李斯特菌和蜡样芽孢杆菌,为食品安全提供技术支撑。

Validation of housekeeping genes as internal controls for studying the gene expression in Pyropia haitanensis(Bangiales, Rhodophyta) by quantitative real-time PCR

Pyropia haitanensis is an economically important mariculture crop in China and has a high research value for several life phenomena, for example environmental tolerance. To explore the mechanisms underlying these characteristics, gene expression has been investigated at the whole transcriptome level. Gene expression studies using quantitative real-time PCR should start by selecting an appropriate internal control gene; therefore, the absolute expression abundance of six housekeeping genes （18S rRNA （18S）, ubiquitin-conju-ating enzyme （UBC）, actin （ACT）, β-tubulin （TUB）, elongation factors 2 （EF2）, and glyceraldehyde-3-phos- phate dehydrogenase （GAPDH） examined by the quantitative real-time PCR in samples corresponding to different strains, life-cycle stages and abiotic stress treatments. Their expression stabilities were assessed by the comparative cycle threshold （Ct） method and by two different software packages： geNorm and NormFinder. The most stable housekeeping gene is UBC and the least stable housekeeping is GADPH. Thus, it is proposed that the most appropriate internal control gene for expression analyses in P. haitanensis is UBC. The results pave the way for further gene expression analyses of different aspects of P. haitanensis biology including different strains, life-history stages and abiotic stress responses.

A Comparison Between Northern Blotting and Quantitative Real-Time PCR as a Means of Detecting the Nutritional Regulation of Genes Expressed in Roots of Arabidopsis thaliana

Quantitative real-time PCR （qRT-PCR） has become a routine and robust technique for measuring the expression of genes of interest, validating microarray experiments and monitoring biomarkers. However, concerns have been raised over the accuracy of qRT-PCR in China as well as in the rest of the world. We have previously used qRT-PCR to study the response of ANR1 and other root-expressed MADS-box genes to fluctuations in the supply of nitrate, phosphate and sulphate under hydroponic growth conditions. In this study, we have used both Northern blotting and qRT-PCR analyses to confirm the nutritional regulation of MADS-box genes in Arabidopsis thaliana and test whether both technologies produce the same results. The information obtained indicated that the qRT-PCR results are consistent with those obtained by Northern blotting hybridization for all the tested root-expressed MADS-box genes, in response to different nitrate, phosphate and sulphate growth conditions. Furthermore, our novel results showed that the expressions of AGL12, AGL18, and AGL19 were all down regulated in response to S and P re-supply in both qRT-PCR and Northern blotting analyses.

Evaluation of reference genes for quantitative real-time PCR analysis of gene expression during early development processes of the tongue sole(Cynoglossus semilaevis)

Differential expression of genes is crucial to growth and development of fish. To select the appropriate genes for gene normalization during Cynoglossus semilaevis early developmental process, eight candidate reference genes （ACTB, B2M, EF1A, GADPH, RPL7, TUBA, UBCE and 18S） were tested for their adequacy by using quantitative real-time PCR. The results showed that the expression of all the examined genes exhibited tissue dependent variations in the mature C. semilaevis. EFIA was listed as the most stable reference among the 14 tissues by RefFinder. Furthermore, the recommended comprehensive ranking of the stability determined by RefFinder showed that 18S was the most stable gene during the early developmental stages （from oosphere to 90 days old） in this study. However, when divided the Ct value data of the above mentioned early developmental stages into two separate periods （embryo and post-hatching periods）, TUBA and 18S represented the most stable references of these two developmental periods, respectively. Consequently, the reference gene should be carefully and accurately chosen even for studies of the same species at various developmental processes. The relevant data may help in selecting appropriate reference genes for mRNA expression analysis, and is of great value in the studies of fish growth and development.

Detection of Lactobacillus acidophilus in Fermented Material by Real-time Fluorescent Quantitative PCR

The species distinctive PCR primer of Lactobacillus acidophilus （ L. acidophilus） was designed according to 16S rRNA gene sequences of conunon Lac- tobacillus species in fermented material. Bacterial genome DNA of separated L. acidophilus in fermented sample was taken as template, and L. acidophilus in fer- mented material was conducted the quantitative determination by real-time quantitative PCR （RT-PCR）. Analysis on RT-PCR results shown that contents of L. aci- dophilus in the test sample reached 1.5 billion CFU / g. Test results shown that contents of L. acidophilus in fermented material could be detected accurately by the established RT-PCR method in the test. indicating that the established RT-PCR method could be aookued to the detection of L. acidophilus in fermented material.

Selection of Reference Genes for Gene Expression Analysis in Nilaparvata lugens with Different Levels of Virulence on Rice by Quantitative Real-Time PCR

The brown planthopper Nilaparvata lugens Stal （Homoptera： Delphacidae） can cause hopperburn by feeding on rice and also can transmit the grassy stunt disease. Resistant rice varieties have been developed, but several N. lugens strains can recover their virulence to these resistant rice varieties. In the present study, reference genes with stable expression levels in N. lugens populations showed different levels of virulence to susceptible and resistant rice varieties. The expression of six candidate reference genes in N. lugens feeding on susceptible and resistant rice varieties was analyzed. These genes were evaluated for their potential use in the analysis of differential gene expression. Polymerase chain reaction data was generated from N. lugens, including two different treatments （resistant or susceptible rice） and three virulent N. lugens populations. Three software programs （BestKeeper, Normfinder and geNorm） were used to assess the candidate reference genes. Both geNorm and Normfinder identified the genes 18S, E-ACT, E-TUB and a-TUB as the most stable reference genes. BestKeeper identified ETIF1 as the optimal reference gene with the least overall variation, whereas 18S and a-TUB were the second and third most stably expressed genes, respectively. Therefore, we concluded that the genes 18S and a-TUB were the most suitable reference genes in N. lugens. These results will facilitate future transcript profiling studies on N. lugens populations that show variation in virulence levels on different rice varieties.

Application of Real-time Fluorescent Quantitative PCR in Studies on Plants

Real-Lime fluorescent quantitative PCR is a method for quantitative analysis of gene expression developed in recent years, which has been widely used in various fields such as basic scientific research, clinical diagnosis, disease study, drug research and development since its appearance. It starts relatively late in study on plants, but has already been used for analysis of gene expression in plants and gene identification of exogenous genes. The principles or advantages and dis- advantages of real-time fluorescent quantitative PCR, or its potential problems and condition optimizations in tests were introduced in this study, and then the appli- cation and prospect of real-time fluorescent quantitative PCR in study on plants were also been discussed.

Identification of circulating miRNA biomarkers based on global quantitative real-time PCR profiling

MicroRNAs （miRNAs） are small noncoding RNAs （18-25 nucleotides） that regulate gene expression at the posttranscriptional level. Recent studies have demonstrated the presence of miRNAs in the blood circulation. Deregulation of miRNAs i n serum or plasma has been associated with many diseases including cancers and cardiovascular diseases, suggesting the possible use of miRNAs as diagnostic biomarkers. However, the detection of the small amount of miRNAs found in serum or plasma requires a method with high sensitivity and accuracy. Therefore, the current study describes polymerase chain reaction （PCR）-based methods for measuring circulating miRNAs. Briefly, the procedure involves four major steps： （1） sample collection and preparation; （2） global miRNAs profiling using quantitative real-time PCR （qRT-PCR）; （3） data normalization and analysis; and （4） selection and validation of miRNA biomarkers. In conclusion, qRT-PCR is a promising method for profiling of circulating miRNAs as biomarkers.

Reference genes for quantitative real-time PCR analysis and quantitative expression of P5CS in Agropyron mongolicum under drought stress

Reference genes, stably expressing in different tissues and cells, are commonly used as the references in expression analysis. Selecting the optimum reference gene is crucial to the success of experiments. In this study, the expression stabilities of nine common reference genes, including ACT2, 18 S r RNA, APRT, EF-1α, RNA POL II, TUBα, TUBβ, GAPDH and TLF of Agropyron mongolicum, were studied under drought condition. Among them, 18 S r RNA was found to be the most optimum reference gene under drought stress by the analyzing of ge Norm and Norm Finder software. Quantitative expression levels of P5 CS using 18 S r RNA as the reference gene, and proline contents under drought stress in A. mongolicum were further operated, and we found the expression level of P5 CS gene and proline content had a significantly positive relationship（R^2=0.7763, P〈0.05）. This study established and validated 18 S r RNA as the reference genes in A. mongolicum under drought stress, providing a powerful tool for the quantitative expression analysis of drought genes in A. mongolicum.

Detection of Ratoon Stunting Disease in Virus-free Seedcane via Real-time Fluorescence Quantitative PCR

This study was to develop the real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR technique for detecting the ratoon stunting disease （RSD） in virus-free seedcane seedlings. Healthy tissue culture seedlings were obtained from six plants of sugarcane ROC22, which had been confirmed RSD-positive by detecting the sugarcane juice, by employing the sugarcane seedlings production protocol. Real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR was used to detect RSD pathogens in tissue culture sam- pies. The results showed that target fragment of RSD pathogens was not found in all 10 samples in real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR, with the Ct values of 37 - 39. The healthy tissue culture sugarcane seedlings do not carry RSD pathogens, indicating that adopting healthy seedcane seedlings production technique could thoroughly get rid of RSD pathogens.

鲤疱疹病毒Ⅱ型TaqMan real-time PCR检测方法的建立及应用

针对鲤疱疹病毒Ⅱ型(Cyprinid herpesvirus 2,CyHV-2)DNA解旋酶基因编码区序列设计特异性引物,利用PCR技术扩增出长度为1 446 bp的基因编码区片段,克隆到pMD19T载体上,构建重组质粒。经PCR鉴定与测序分析确认正确后,以10倍梯度稀释重组质粒,作为标准模板进行TaqMan real-time PCR扩增,制作标准曲线,建立了鲤疱疹病毒Ⅱ型的荧光定量PCR检测方法。检测结果显示,标准曲线的相关系数(R2)达到0.999 1,斜率为-3.412;对初始模板定量检测的范围为1×101～1×107copies/μL;特异性试验结果表明,该方法可特异性地检测出鲤疱疹病毒Ⅱ型,而对大鲵虹彩病毒(GSIV)、锦鲤疱疹病毒(KHV)以及空白对照无检测信号。取江苏射阳和宝应两地疑似患病鲫组织核酸作为模板进行荧光定量PCR,结果表明反应体系中的病毒量分别为6.89×104copies/μL和3.02×102copies/μL。本研究建立的鲤疱疹病毒Ⅱ型TaqMan实时荧光定量PCR方法灵敏度高、特异性强,对因鲤疱疹病毒Ⅱ感染引起的养殖鲫造血器官坏死症的诊断与病毒病原定量检测有重要意义。

用基于TaqMan探针的Real-time PCR技术定量检测副溶血弧菌

副溶血弧菌是一种引起食源性疾病的重要病原菌,传统的鉴定方法费时费力且容易出现假阴性,建立一种定量检测副溶血弧菌基因的方法尤为重要。根据GenBank公布的副溶血弧菌的gyrB基因序列设计一对引物和TaqMan探针,建立了基于TaqMan探针的RealtimePCR方法。通过对9种细菌(12株菌株)的DNA进行扩增,结果所有4株副溶血弧菌均可产生扩增曲线,其他8株非副溶血弧菌均不产生扩增曲线,证明了引物和探针具有很高的特异性。细菌纯培养物品和人工布菌的检测敏感度分别为1CFUPCR反应体系和10CFUPCR反应体系,相关系数均为0.99(r2=0.99),整个试验可在1h内完成。建立的方法可用于海产品中副溶血弧菌的快速定量检测。

山羊地方性鼻内肿瘤病毒TaqMan荧光定量RT-PCR检测方法的建立及应用

山羊地方性鼻内肿瘤(enzootic nasal tumor, ENT)是山羊的病毒性传染病,由山羊地方性鼻内肿瘤病毒(enzootic nasal tumor virus of goats, ENTV-2)所引起,感染后可以导致山羊的鼻道筛骨上皮细胞发生不可逆的癌变,已在世界范围内广泛存在,对山羊养殖业造成严重的经济损失。为建立快速、准确且能定量分析ENTV-2的检测方法,本研究根据GenBank上发布的ENTV-2 env基因(MT254061.1)保守区域设计引物和TaqMan探针,建立ENTV-2 TaqMan探针荧光定量RT-PCR检测方法,并对其特异性、灵敏性、重复性与临床检测效果进行验证。结果显示,重组质粒标准品模板浓度为6.30×10^(2)~6.30×10^(7) copies·μL^(-1)呈现良好的线性关系,相关系数R^(2)为0.996 5,扩增效率为110%,线性方程的斜率为-2.953,最低检测限度为6.30×10^(1) copies·μL^(-1);组内变异系数和组间变异系数均小于2%,重复性好;与口蹄疫病毒((foot-and-mouth disease virus, FMDV)、小反刍兽疫病毒(peste des petits ruminants virus, PPRV)、蓝舌病毒(bluetongue virus)、羊内源性逆转录病毒(endogenous retroviruses)等均无交叉反应,表明该方法具有很好的特异性。利用本研究所建立的TaqMan探针实时荧光定量RT-PCR检测方法对29份临床样品进行检测,该方法较普通PCR方法的检出率更高。综上表明,本研究成功建立了ENTV-2 TaqMan探针实时荧光定量RT-PCR检测方法,为ENTV-2的快速诊断和流行病学调查提供技术手段。

鸡传染性喉气管炎病毒TaqMan real-time PCR检测方法的建立

为建立鸡传染性喉气管炎病毒(ILTV)TaqMan Real-time PCR检测方法,本研究根据GenBank中登录的ILTV gB基因序列设计了2对引物与一条特异性TaqMan探针,通过对反应体系和反应条件的优化,特异性、敏感性以及重复性试验,证明该方法在核酸含量108拷贝/μL～101拷贝/μL范围内具有良好的线性关系;能够检测初始模板中10-3EID50的病毒核酸及16拷贝的标准品;与其它相关的鸡源病毒均无交叉反应,并且批内、批间变异系数均小于2%,具有良好的重复性。该检测方法的建立为ILTV的临床检测和定量分析提供了一种快速、准确的技术手段。