title: Evaluation of candidate reference genes for QPCR during ontogenesis and of immune-relevant tissues of European seabass (Dicentrarchus labrax).
abstract: The expression level of mRNA can vary significantly in different experimental conditions, such as stress, infection, developmental stage or tissue. Suitable reference genes are expected to exhibit constant expression levels. However no single gene is constitutively expressed in all cell types and under all experimental conditions. It has become clear that expression stability of the intended reference gene has to be examined before each experiment. For expression studies using quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR) at least two reference genes have to be applied. So far expression studies in the European seabass (Dicentrarchus labrax) as well as in the Gilthead seabream (Sparus aurata) have been performed with only one reference gene (S18, Ef-1 alpha or Gapdh). Though significant variations showed up in other teleost species such as the Atlantic halibut and the zebrafish affirming the need for proper normalization strategies, the present study aims at identifying suitable reference genes among nine candidates [glyceraldehyde-phosphate-dehydrogenase (Gapdh), beta-actin (two regions of beta-actin), 40S ribosomal protein S30 (Fau), ribosomal protein L13 a (L13a), beta2-tubulin (Tubb2) and tyrosine 3 monooxygenase/tryptophan 5-monooxygenase activation protein (Tyr)] for expression analysis of 8 developmental stages and a tissue panel (spleen, liver, kidney and brain) with samples infected with Nodavirus and Vibrio anguillarum in D. labrax. Besides the analysis of raw Ct-values, the gene expression stability was determined using two different software applications BestKeeper and NormFinder. According to both algorithms the best two reference genes for an appropriate normalization approach during D. labrax development are Ef-1 alpha and L13a whereas in the tissue panel Fau and L13a are recommended for qPCR normalization.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Marine Biology and Genetics, Hellenic Center of Marine Research, Crete, P.O. Box 2214, 710 03 Iraklio, Crete, Greece.
authors.forename: Karin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Mitter
authors.forename: Georgios
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Kotoulas
authors.forename: Antonios
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Magoulas
authors.forename: Victor
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Mulero
authors.forename: Pilar
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Sepulcre
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Figueras
authors.forename: Beatrice
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Novoa
authors.forename: Elena
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Sarropoulou
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001492:Bass / Q000196:embryology* / Q000235:genetics* / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism; D029941:Fish Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D020411:Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods / Q000592:standards*; D012015:Reference Standards
chemical_list: D029941:Fish Proteins