Methodological studies of multiple reference genes as endogenous controls in vascular gene expression studies

• Detection and quantification of differentially expressed genes requires valid and reliable references to control for error variability introduced by preparatory procedures or efficiency of reverse transcription and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification conditions. So-called housekeeping genes are frequently used as endogenous standards, based on the assumption that they are constitutively expressed and independent of experimental conditions. However, if the influence of experimental stimuli is to be analyzed, it cannot a priori be assumed that their expression is unaffected by stimulation. In the present study, the authors studied the expression of different housekeeping genes in the vascular endothelium of intact conduit vessels perfused in a unique biomechanical perfusion model. Ten control gene candidates were investigated by microarray expression analysis. Further, five of these genes were systematically analyzed by real-time reverse transcriptase (RT)-PCR gene quantification and their suitability as reference genes were evaluated. On the basis of these findings, the authors suggest criteria for evaluation of endogenous control genes in vascular perfusion studies.

Keyword

Biomedical Research

Endothelium

Vascular/*physiology

*Gene Expression

*Gene Expression Profiling/methods/standards

Humans

*Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis/methods/standards

Perfusion

Reproducibility of Results

*Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction/methods/standards

Umbilical Cord/*physiology

Publication and Content Type

ref (subject category)

art (subject category)