Real-time Quantitative RT-PCR for CT9 Level in Human Cancer

CT9 is a recently cloned cancer-testis antigen, which is a member of the bromodomain and extraterminal family. Each member of this protein family contains two N-terminal bromodomain motifs. We investigated the distribution of CT9 in different tissues and the possibility for it to be used as a potential therapeutic target in cancer treament. By using the real-time RT-PCR method and 18SrRNA as an internal standard, we analyzed the CT9 expression in several normal human tissues and in the tissues of patients suffering from cancer. The result of this study shows that the highest level of mRNA is only present in testis tissue because the CT9 expression has not been detected in other normal tissues. In 6 of 10 cases of gastric adenocarcinoma, in 3 of 10 cases of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma, in 2 of 9 cases of endometrial carcinoma and only in 1 of 12 cases of brain cancer, the low level expression of CT9 was detected. In none of the 12 cases of cervical squamous cell carcinoma, the expression of CT9 was detected. Since the high level expression of CT9 is only found in the normal testis tissue, but the low expression in cancer tissues, for example tissues of cervical squamous cell carcinoma, brain cancer, endometfial adenocarcinoma, esophageal squamous cell carcinoma, we conclude that CT9 cannot be used as a cancer therapeutic target molecule for cervical squamous cell carcinoma, brain cancer, endometrial adenocarcinoma, esophageal squamous cell carcinoma.

Detecting PML-RARα transcript in acute promyelocytic leukemia using real-time quantitative RT-PCR

Background Real-time quantitative RT-PCR （RQ-PCR） assay has become a vital tool to monitor residual disease of leukemia, However, the complexity and standardization of RQ-PCR should never be overlooked and the results should be interpreted cautiously in clinical conditions. We aimed to assess the methodology of RQ-PCR and its clinical applications in monitoring molecular kinetics of 36 newly diagnosed cases of acute promyelocytic leukemia patients with t （15;17） from October 2004 to December 2005.Methods All the TaqMan probe-based RQ-PCR reactions and analysis were performed on an ABI-PRISM 7500 platform, The quantitation of PML-RARα transcripts was represented by the normalized quotient, that is, PML-RARα transcript copies divided by ABL transcript copies, According to induction therapy, the patients were classed into two groups： group 1 （n=23）, three-drug combination including arsenics, all-trans retinoic acid and mitoxantrone; and group 2 （n=13）.two-drug combination from all-trans retinoic acid, arsenics and mitoxantrone.Results The sensitivity of RQ-PCR was 1 per 105 cells and 5 copies of the PML-RARα transcript could be reproducibly detected, No false positive results occurred in 40 non-acute promyelocytic leukemia samples, Optimal amplification efficiency could be attained, which was determined by the slope of the standard curves （slope： -3.2 -- -3.7）. The inter-assay and intra-assay variation coefficients of the method were 1.01% and 0.56% respectively. Although the time to attain hematological complete remission was similar in both groups, the time to achieve molecular remission of group 1 was significantly shorter than that of group 2 （61 days vs 75 days, P=0.034）. The rate of molecular remission within 70 days was higher in group 1 than in group 2 （75.00% vs 38.46%, P=0.036）, Compared with pretreatment, median reduction of the PML-RARα transcript before first consolidation therapy differed significantly between group 1 and group 2 （log scale, 3.15 vs 2.31, P=0.024）, Interestingly, we found that PML-RARα transcript levels temporarily increased in bone marrow （7 patients） and peripheral blood （22 patients） samples of patients during induction therapy in both groups.Conclusions The RQ-PCR assay is reliable for the detection of PML-RARα transcripts. Arsenics, all-trans retinoic acid and mitoxantrone triad induction treatment of acute promyelocytic leukemia is superior to two-drug combination induction therapy in terms of the molecular response.

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.

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.

Detection and clinical significance of multidrug resistance-1 mRNA in bone marrow cells in children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia by real-time fluorescence quantitative RT-PCR

Objective： Multidrug resistance（MDR） is one of the most important reasons for treatment failure and recurrence of acute leukemia. Its manifestations are different in children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia（ALL） which may be due to different detection methods. This study was to detect the expression of MDR1 mRNA in bone marrow cells of children with ALL by real-time fluorescence- quantitative reverse transcription polymerase-chain reaction（FQ-RT-PCR）, and combine minimal residual desease（MRD） detection by flow cytometry（FCM） and to study their relationship with treatment response and prognosis of ALL. Methods：The MDR1 mRNA levels in bone marrow cells from 67 children with ALL[28 had newly diagnosed disease, 27 had achieved complete remission（CR）, 12 recurrent] and 22 children without leukemia were detected by FQ-RT-PCR. MRD was detected by FCM. The patients were observed for 9-101 months, with a median of 64 months. Results：Standard curves of human MDR1 and GAPDH genes were constructed successfully. MDR1 mRNA was detected in all children with a positive rate of 100%. The mRNA level of MDR1 was similar among the newly diagnosed ALL group, CR group, and control group（P 〉 0.05）, but significantly higher in the recurrence group than that in newly diagnosed disease group and control group（0.50 ± 0.55 vs. 0.09 ± 0.26 and 0.12 ± 0.23, P〈 0.05）. 54 ALL patients were followed up, and it was found that MDR1 mRNA level was significantly higher in ALL patients within 3 years duration than that of ALL patients with 3-6 years and over 6 years duration（0.63 ± 0.56 vs. 0.11 ± 0.12 and 0.04 ± 0.06, P〈 0.01）. For the 28 children with newly diagnosed disease, the MDR1 mRNA level was similar between WBC 〉 50 ~ 109 group and WBC〈50 × 10^9 group（P〉 0.05）. In the 33 CR patients, the MDR1 mRNA level was significantly higher in MRD〉10a group than that in MRD〈10a group（0.39 ± 0.47 vs. 0.03 ± 0.03, P 〈 0.05）. Conclusion：The sensitivity and specificity of FQ-RT-PCR in detecting MDR1 mRNA in bone marrowy cells of children with ALL patients are high. MDR1 mRNA is expressed in children with and without leukemia. MDR1 mRNA is highly expressed in the CR ALL patients with high MRD, recurrence and short duration（within 3 years）. Monitoring MRD and the MDR1 mRNA level might be helpful for individual treatment.

Synchronous Detection of DNA/RNA of Four Shrimp Viruses by Real-time Fluorescence Quantitative RT-PCR

[ Objective] This study aimed to establish a simultaneous detection method of shrimp viruses by real-time fluorescence quantitative RT-PCR, to improve the efficiency of inspection and quarantine. [ Method] A novel real-time fluorescence quantitative RT-PCR assay was established and optimized for simultaneously detecting DNA/RNA of four shrimp viruses （WSSV, IHHNV, TSV and YHV ）. [ Result] The optimized real-time fluorescence quantitative RT-PCR system gener- ated typical amplification curves with high amplification efficiencies （E = 1.06, 1.07, 0.92 and 0.92, respectively）, good hnear relationship （ r = 1 ）, uniform repeatability （ standard deviation = 0.05 - 0.46 ; variation coefficient = 0.26% - 1.62% ） and high sensitivity, exhibiting no significant differences compared with re- al-time fluorescence quantitative PCR （average error of Ct value = 0.04 -0.40; T = 0.53 -2.50; P 〉 0.05 ）. The total detection time was about 1 h. [ Conclusion] The optimized real-time fluorescence quantitative RT-PCR system can be used for rapid detection of WSSV, IHHNV, TSV and YHV.

The study on quantitative expression of CD44v6mRNA by real-time RT-PCR with the micro-metastases of gastric cancer

Objective： To study the expression of CD44 correlation and the ability of metastasis of tumor cells in gastric carcinoma, and to find the correlation of the quantitative of CD44V6mRNA and the histology expression of CD44v6 in tumors with the clinic-pathologic features, and to make the quantitative expression of CD44v6mRNA. Methods： Twenty patients with gastric carcinoma, 4 patients with gastritis, and 10 apparently healthy controls were recruited. Blood samples were obtained before surgery. 10 days after surgery, the blood samples were obtained again. Serum CIM4v6mRNA in all cases was measured by real-time quantitative PCR. Results： Serum CIM4V6mRNA was detectable in 20 of 20（ 100% ） gastric carcinoma cases, The expression level ranged from 4.9×10^2 copies/μg RNA to 3.2 ×10^5 copies/μg RNA, the average levels of peripheral blood was 3.9 ×10^4 copies/μg RNA, The expression level of pedpheral blood of gastric cancer after curative operation ranged from 5.5×10^0 copies/μg RNA to 7.6 ×10^3 copies/μg RNA. After curative operation the expression level was decreased markedly. Conclusion： Serurn CIM4v6mRNA is expressed in the peripheral blood of gastric carcinoma patients. The expression level of CD44V6mRNA is obviously decreased after curative operation. An elevated level of CD44v6mRNA may serve as an indicator of lymph node metastasis （especially early metastasis） and bad prognosis in patients with gastric carcinoma.

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。

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.

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.

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.

Real-time fluorescent quantitative immuno-PCR method for determination of fluoranthene in water samples with a molecular beacon

A reliable and sensitive competitive real-time fluorescent quantitative immuno-PCR （RTFQ-IPCR） assay using a molecular beacon was developed for the determination of trace fluoranthene （FL） in the environment.Under optimized assay conditions,FL can be determined in the concentration range from 1 fg/mL to 100 ng/mL,with y=0.194x ＋ 7.859,and a correlation coefficient of 0.967 was identified,with a detection limit of 0.6 fg/mL.Environmental water samples were successfully analyzed,recovery was between 90% and 116%,with intra-day relative standard deviation （RSD） of 6.7%-12.8% and inter-day RSD of 8.4%-15.2%.The results obtained from RTFQ-IPCR were confirmed by ELISA,showing good accuracy and suitability to analyze FL in field samples.As a highly sensitive method,the molecular beacon-based RTFQ-IPCR is acceptable and promising for providing reliable test results to make environmental decisions.

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.

Next Generation Transcriptome Sequencing and Quantitative Real-Time PCR Technologies for Characterisation of the Bemisia tabaci Asia 1 mtCOI Phylogenetic Clade

A programme of functional genomics research is underway at the University of Greenwich,UK,to develop and apply genomics technologies to characterise an economically-important but under-researched Bemisia tabaci（Hemiptera：Aleyrodidae）,the Asia 1 mtCOI phylogenetic group.A comparison of this putative species from India with other important B.tabaci populations and insect species may provide targets for the development of more effective whitefly control strategies.As a first step,next-generation sequencing（NGS）has been used to survey the transcriptome of adult female whitefly,with high quality RNA preparations being used to generate cDNA libraries for NGS using the Roche 454 Titanium DNA sequencing platform.Contig assemblies constructed from the resultant sequences（301 094 reads）using the software program CLC Genomics Workbench generated 3 821 core contigs.Comparison of a selection of these contigs with related sequences from other B.tabaci genetic groups has revealed good alignment for some genes（e.g.,HSP90）but misassemblies in other datasets（e.g.,the vitellogenin gene family）,highlighting the need for manual curation as well as collaborative international efforts to obtain accurate assemblies from the existing next generation sequence datasets.Nevertheless,data emerging from the NGS has facilitated the development of accurate and reliable methods for analysing gene expression based on quantitative real-time RT-PCR,illustrating the power of this approach to enable rapid expression analyses in an organism for which a complete genome sequence is currently lacking.

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.

Development of Quantitative Real-time Polymerase Chain Reaction for the Detection of Vibrio vulnificus Based on Hemolysin (vvhA) Coding System

Objective To establish a TaqMan real-time fluorescent quantitative PCR to detect Vibrio vulnificus based on the hemolysin gene （vvhA） coding cytolysin. Methods Primers and probes in the conserved region of the vvhA gene sequence were designed for the TaqMan real-time PCR to detect 100 bp amplicon from V. vulnificus DNA. Recombinant plasmid pMD19-vvhA100 was constructed and used as a positive control during the detection. Minimal amplification cycles （Ct value） and fluorescence intensity enhancement （ARn value） were used as observing indexes to optimize the reaction conditions of TaqMan real-time PCR. The TaqMan assay for the detection of Vbirio vulnificus was evaluated in pure culture, mice tissue which artificially contaminated Vibrio vulnificus and clinical samples. Results The established TaqMan real-time PCR showed positive results only for Vibrio vulnificus DNA and pMD19-vvhA100. The standard curve was plotted and the minimum level of the vvhA target from the recombinant plasmid DNA was 103 copies with a Ct value of 37.94±0.19, as the equivalent of 0.01 ng purified genomic DNA of Vibrio vulnificus. The results detected by TaqMan PCR were positive for the 16 clinical samples and all the specimens of peripheral blood and subcutaneous tissue of mice which were infected with Vibrio vulnificus. Conclusion TaqMan real-time PCR is a rapid, effective, and quantitative tool to detect Vibro vulnificus, and can be used in clinical laboratory diagnosis of septicemia and wound infection caused by Vibrio vulnificus.