The Use of Laser Microdissection in the Identification of Suitable Reference Genes for Normalization of Quantitative Real-Time PCR in Human FFPE Epithelial Ovarian Tissue Samples

Quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR) is a powerful and reproducible method of gene expression analysis in which expression levels are quantified by normalization against reference genes. Therefore, to investigate the potential biomarkers and therapeutic targets for epithelial ovarian cancer by qPCR, it is critical to identify stable reference genes. In this study, twelve housekeeping genes (ACTB, GAPDH, 18S rRNA, GUSB, PPIA, PBGD, PUM1, TBP, HRPT1, RPLP0, RPL13A, and B2M) were analyzed in 50 ovarian samples from normal, benign, borderline, and malignant tissues. For reliable results, laser microdissection (LMD), an effective technique used to prepare homogeneous starting material, was utilized to precisely excise target tissues or cells. One-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) and nonparametric (Kruskal-Wallis) tests were used to compare the expression differences. NormFinder and geNorm software were employed to further validate the suitability and stability of the candidate genes. Results showed that epithelial cells occupied a small percentage of the normal ovary indeed. The expression of ACTB, PPIA, RPL13A, RPLP0, and TBP were stable independent of the disease progression. In addition, NormFinder and geNorm identified the most stable combination (ACTB, PPIA, RPLP0, and TBP) and the relatively unstable reference gene GAPDH from the twelve commonly used housekeeping genes. Our results highlight the use of homogeneous ovarian tissues and multiple-reference normalization strategy, e.g. the combination of ACTB, PPIA, RPLP0, and TBP, for qPCR in epithelial ovarian tissues, whereas GAPDH, the most commonly used reference gene, is not recommended, especially as a single reference gene.     

Identification of Optimal Reference Genes for Gene Expression Normalization in a Wide Cohort of Endometrioid Endometrial Carcinoma Tissues

Accurate normalization is a primary component of a reliable gene expression analysis based on qRT-PCR technique. While the use of one or more reference genes as internal controls is commonly accepted as the most appropriate normalization strategy, many qPCR-based published studies still contain data poorly normalized and reference genes arbitrarily chosen irrespective of the particular tissue and the specific experimental design. To date, no validated reference genes have been identified for endometrial cancer tissues. In this study, 10 normalization genes (GAPDH, B2M, ACTB, POLR2A, UBC, PPIA, HPRT1, GUSB, TBP, H3F3A) belonging to different functional and abundance classes in various tissues and used in different studies, were analyzed to determine their applicability. In total, 100 endometrioid endometrial cancer samples, which were carefully balanced according to their tumor grade, and 29 normal endometrial tissues were examined using SYBR Green Real-Time RT-PCR. The expression stability of candidate reference genes was determined and compared by means of geNorm and NormFinder softwares. Both algorithms were in agreement in identifying GAPDH, H3F3A, PPIA, and HPRT1 as the most stably expressed genes, only differing in their ranking order. Analysis performed on the expression levels of all candidate genes confirm HPRT1 and PPIA as the most stably expressed in the study groups regardless of sample type, to be used alone or better in combination. As the stable expression of HPRT1 and PPIA between normal and tumor endometrial samples fulfill the basic requirement of a reference gene to be used for normalization purposes, HPRT1 expression showed significant differences between samples from low-grade and high-grade tumors. In conclusion, our results recommend the use of PPIA as a single reference gene to be considered for improved reliability of normalization in gene expression studies involving endometrial tumor samples at different tumor degrees.     

Normalizing genes for real-time polymerase chain reaction in epithelial and nonepithelial cells of mouse small intestine

Gene expression studies in intestinal epithelial and stromal cells are a common tool for investigating the mechanisms by which the homeostasis of the small intestine is regulated under normal and pathological conditions. Quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR) is a sensitive and highly reproducible method of gene expression analysis, with expression levels quantified by normalization against reference genes in most cases. However, the lack of suitable reference genes for epithelial cells with different differentiation states and nonepithelial tissue cells has limited the application of qPCR in gene expression studies of small intestinal samples. In this study, 13 housekeeping genes, ACTB, B2M, GAPDH, GUSB, HPRT1, HMBS, HSP90AB1, RPL13A, RPS29, RPLP0,PPIA, TBP, and TUBA1, were analyzed to determine their applicability for isolated crypt cells, villus cells, deepithelialized mucosa, and whole mucosa of the mouse small intestine. Using geNorm and NormFinder software, GUSB and TBP were identified as the most stably expressed genes, whereas the expressions of the commonly used reference genes GAPDH, B2M, and ACTB, and ribosomal protein genes RPL13A, RPS29, and RPLP0 were relatively unstable. Thus, this study demonstrates that GUSB and TBP are the optimal reference genes for the normalization of gene expression in the mouse small intestine.     

Reference gene selection for real-time RT-PCR in regenerating mouse livers

The liver has an intrinsic ability to undergo active proliferation and recover functional liver mass in response to an injury response. This regenerative process involves a complex yet well orchestrated change in the gene expression profile. To produce accurate and reliable gene expression of target genes during various stages of liver regeneration, the determination of internal control housekeeping genes (HKGs) those are uniformly expressed is required. In the present study, the gene expression of 8 commonly used HKGs, including GAPDH, ACTB, HPRT1, GUSB, PPIA, TBP, TFRC, and RPL4, were studied using mouse livers that were quiescent and actively regenerating induced by partial hepatectomy. The amplification of the HKGs was statistically analyzed by two different mathematical algorithms, geNorm and NormFinder. Using this method, PPIA and TBP gene expression found to be relatively stable regardless of the stages of liver regeneration and would be ideal for normalization to target gene expression.     

Novel reference gene RPN1 for normalization of quantitative data in lung and kidney cancer

Quantitative methods of gene expression analysis in tumors require accurate data normalization, which allows comparison of different mRNA/cDNA samples with unknown concentration. For this purpose reference genes with stable expression level (such as GAPDH, ACTB, HPRT1, TBP) are used. The choice of appropriate reference genes is still actual because well-known reference genes are not suitable for certain cancer types frequently and their unreasonable use without additional tests lead to wrong conclusions. We have developed the bioinformatic approach and selected a new potential reference gene RPN1 for lung and kidney tumors. This gene is located at the long arm of chromosome 3. Our method includes mining of the dbEST and Oncomine databases and functional analysis of genes. The RPN1 was selected from 1500 candidate housekeeping genes. Using comparative genomic hybridization with NotI-microarrays we found no methylation, deletions and/or amplifications at the RPN1-containing locus in 56 non-small cell lung and 42 clear cell renal cancer samples. Using RT-qPCR we showed low variability of RPN1 mRNA level comparable to those of reference genes GAPDH and GUSB in lung and kidney cancer. The mRNA levels of two target genes coding hyalouronidases--HYAL1 and HYAL2--were estimated and normalized relative to pair RPN1--GAPDH genes for lung cancer and RPN1--GUSB for kidney cancer. These combinations were shown to be optimal for obtaining accurate and reproducible data. All obtained results allow us to suggest RPN1 as novel reference gene for quantitative data normalization in gene expression studies for lung and kidney cancers.     

Selection of reference genes for normalization of real-time PCR data in minipig heart failure model and evaluation of TNF-α mRNA expression

Real-time PCR is the benchmark method for measuring mRNA expression levels, but the accuracy and reproducibility of its data greatly depend on appropriate normalization strategies. Though the minipig model is largely used to study cardiovascular disease, no specific reference genes have been identified in porcine myocardium. The aim of the study was to identify and validate reference gene to be used in RT-PCR studies of failing (HF) and non-failing pig hearts. Eight candidate reference genes (GAPDH, ACTB, B2M, TBP, HPRT-1, PPIA, TOP2B, YWHAZ) were selected to compare cardiac tissue of normal (n=4) and HF (n=5) minipigs. The most stable genes resulted: HPRT-1, TBP, PPIA (right and left atrium); PPIA, GAPDH, ACTB (right ventricle); HPRT-1, TBP, GAPDH (left ventricle). The normalization strategy was tested analyzing mRNA expression of TNF-α, which is known to be up-regulated in HF and whose variations resulted more significant when normalized with the appropriately selected reference genes. The findings obtained in this study underline the importance to provide a set of reference genes to normalize mRNA expression in HF and control minipigs. The use of unvalidated reference genes can generate biased results because also their expression could be altered by the experimental conditions.     

Effects of prototypical drug-metabolizing enzyme inducers on mRNA expression of housekeeping genes in primary cultures of human and rat hepatocytes

Quantitative real-time RT-PCR was used to investigate the effects of prototypical drug-metabolizing enzyme inducers rifampicin (Rif), dexamethasone (Dex), and omeprazole (Ome) on mRNA expression levels of the housekeeping genes beta-actin (ACTB), glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH), beta-glucuronidase (GUSB), hypoxanthine phosphoribosyltransferase 1 (HPRT1), peptidylprolylisomerase A (PPIA), TATA box binding protein (TBP), and transferrin receptor (TFRC) in primary cultures of cryopreserved human and rat hepatocytes. The mRNA levels of ACTB, GAPDH, GUSB, PPIA, TBP, and TFRC relative to HPRT1 in human hepatocytes were constant at all concentrations of inducers. However, the mRNA level of GAPDH relative to HPRT1 in rat hepatocytes was markedly increased by Rif. The mRNA levels of GAPDH, GUSB, PPIA, TBP, and TFRC relative to HPRT1 in rat hepatocytes were significantly increased by Dex. ACTB and HPRT1 are suitable internal controls for evaluating mRNA expression levels in primary cultures of human and rat hepatocytes after Rif, Dex, or Ome exposure.     

Determination and Validation of Reference Gene Stability for qPCR Analysis in Polysaccharide Hydrogel-Based 3D Chondrocytes and Mesenchymal Stem Cell Cultural Models

Gene expression study is widely used to obtain information of the cell activities and phenotypes. To quantify gene expression, measurement of the mRNA copy number is commonly done by quantitative RT-PCR (RT-qPCR). However, proper reference gene is needed for different tissues to normalize the expression level of different genes accurately. In this study, reference gene determination was done for three-dimensional (3D) artificial tissue constructs in hydrogel. Porcine synovium-derived mesenchymal stem cells (SMSCs) and rabbit chondrocytes were cultured in both alginate and agarose hydrogels to set up four different 3D culture systems to form the artificial tissue constructs. The gene expression levels of candidate genes were determined by RT-qPCR and then analyzed by geNorm, Bestkeeper, and Normfinder. For porcine SMSCs, PPIA, and TBP were selected for tissue in alginate scaffold whereas HPRT and TBP were selected for the agarose scaffold system. On the other hand, HPRT, PPIA, and RPL18 were the stable reference genes for rabbit chondrocytes in alginate scaffold while TBP, RPL5, and RPL18 were selected for rabbit chondrocytes in agarose scaffold. This study has further indicated that suitable reference genes are different for each tissue and study purpose. The reference genes are expressed in different stability when a scaffold of different material is used.     

光裸星虫(Sipunculus nudus)不同发育时期卵细胞内参基因的筛选

内参基因的选择对功能基因表达量的归一化处理尤为重要。为了筛选出光裸星虫不同发育时期卵子的最适内参基因,利用qRT-PCR测定了甘油醛-3-磷酸脱氢酶(GAPDH)、肽基脯氨酰顺反异构酶A(PPIA)、60S核糖体蛋白L10(60S-L10)、铁蛋白(Ferritin)、β-肌动蛋白(β-actin)、泛素C(UBC)、真核生物翻译起始因子(eIF)、NADH脱氢酶(NDH)、28S核糖体RNA(28S)、TATA盒结合蛋白(TBP)、18S核糖体RNA(18S)和琥珀酸脱氢酶A亚基(SDHA)共12个候选内参基因的表达水平,并通过4个程序(geNorm,NormFinder,BestKeeper以及RefFinder)综合分析了各基因的表达稳定性。结果显示:(1)12个候选内参基因均能获得特异性扩增产物,但表达情况各异;(2)对候选内参基因进行综合打分,得到候选内参基因稳定性排名为18S>GAPDH>28S>β-actin>UBC>e IF>NDH|TBP>PPIA|Ferritin>60S-L10>SDHA。18S和GAPDH稳定性较好,可作为不同发育时期卵细胞基因表达研究的单内参基因,或最优组合内参基因。     

小鼠基因转录表达分析中内参基因的优选

目的 建立小鼠基因转录表达分析中内参基因的选择方法.方法 以C57BL/6J和C3H/HeJ两个品系3个不同组织及2个不同发育阶段为研究对象,应用反转录实时定量PCR技术,评价GAPDH(glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase)、HPRTl(hypoxanthine phosphoribosyl transferase)、B2M(β2-microglobulin)、PPIA(peptidylprolyl isomerase A)、ACTB(Actin-beta)和18S rRNA(18S ribosomal RNA)等6个看家基因在下丘脑、垂体与卵巢中mRNA水平的表达稳定性.结果 GeNorm统计分析表明,GAPDH和HPRT1表达最为稳定,PPIA等次之,B2M在不同组织和发育阶段中都几乎无表达.结论 成功筛选到GAPDH和HPRT1两个稳定表达的看家基因,证实了小鼠基因表达转录分析中内参基因选择的必要性和可行性.     

Effects of dimethyl sulfoxide and dexamethasone on mRNA expression of housekeeping genes in cultures of C2C12 myotubes

We used quantitative real-time RT-PCR to investigate the effects of dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) and dexamethasone (Dex) on the mRNA expression levels of the housekeeping genes β-actin (ACTB), glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH), β-glucuronidase (GUSB), hypoxanthine phosphoribosyltransferase 1 (HPRT1), phosphoglycerate kinase 1 (PGK1), peptidylprolyl isomerase A (PPIA), and transferrin receptor (TFRC) in cultures of C2C12 myotubes. The ratios of ACTB mRNA levels to the HPRT1 mRNA level in C2C12 cells that were differentiating from myoblast cells to myotubes decreased from 0 to 120 h of culture, whereas the ratios of TFRC mRNA levels to the HPRT1 mRNA level increased from 0 to 120 h of culture. The ratios of GAPDH, GUSB, PGK1, and PPIA mRNA levels to the HPRT1 mRNA level remained constant from 0 to 120 h of culture. All housekeeping gene mRNA levels were unaffected by exposure to DMSO concentrations of 0.1% or less. The GAPDH mRNA level was increased by Dex, while the ACTB and PGK1 mRNA levels were significantly decreased by Dex. The GUSB, PPIA, and TFRC mRNA levels were unaffected by exposure to Dex. GUSB, HPRT1, and PPIA are thus suitable internal controls for evaluating mRNA expression levels in cultures of C2C12 cells.     

Evaluation of reference genes for real-time quantitative PCR studies in

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: The selection of stable and suitable reference genes for real-time quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR) is a crucial prerequisite for reliable gene expression analysis under different experimental conditions. The present study aimed to identify reference genes as internal controls for gene expression studies by RT-qPCR in azole-stimulated Candida glabrata. RESULTS: The expression stability of 16 reference genes under fluconazole stress was evaluated using fold change and standard deviation computations with the hkgFinder tool. Our data revealed that the mRNA expression levels of three ribosomal RNAs (RDN5.8, RDN18, and RDN25) remained stable in response to fluconazole, while PGK1, UBC7, and UBC13 mRNAs showed only approximately 2.9-, 3.0-, and 2.5-fold induction by azole, respectively. By contrast, mRNA levels of the other 10 reference genes (ACT1, EF1a, GAPDH, PPIA, RPL2A, RPL10, RPL13A, SDHA, TUB1, and UBC4) were dramatically increased in C. glabrata following antifungal treatment, exhibiting changes ranging from 4.5- to 32.7-fold. We also assessed the expression stability of these reference genes using the 2-[increment][increment]CT method and three other software packages. The stability rankings of the reference genes by geNorm and the 2-[increment][increment]CT method were identical to those by hkgFinder, whereas the stability rankings by BestKeeper and NormFinder were notably different. We then validated the suitability of six candidate reference genes (ACT1, PGK1, RDN5.8, RDN18, UBC7, and UBC13) as internal controls for ten target genes in this system using the comparative CT method. Our validation experiments passed for all six reference genes analyzed except RDN18, where the amplification efficiency of RDN18 was different from that of the ten target genes. Finally, we demonstrated that the relative quantification of target gene expression varied according to the endogenous control used, highlighting the importance of the choice of internal controls in such experiments. CONCLUSIONS: We recommend the use of RDN5.8, UBC13, and PGK1 alone or the combination of RDN5.8 plus UBC13 or PGK1 as reference genes for RT-qPCR analysis of gene expression in C. glabrata following azole treatment. In contrast, we show that ACT1 and other commonly used reference genes (GAPDH, PPIA, RPL13A, TUB1, etc.) were not validated as good internal controls in the current model.