Selection of reference genes for quantitative real-time PCR of Leymus chinensis in different tissues

To explore the optimal reference genes in different tissues of Leymus chinensis for a quantitative real-time PCR experiment, eight general housekeeping genes including TUA, TUB, 18S rRNA, EF-1α, APRT, CYP, Actin and CBP20 were selected as candidate reference genes. Using roots, stems, leaves, and spikes of L. chinensis, we analyzed the 8 candidate reference gene expressions using qRT-PCR and evaluated their expression stability using geNorm and NormFinder software. The results showed that stability differed significantly among the eight candidate reference genes in different tissues. The most stable reference gene was Actin in leaves, EF-1a in stems, APRT and 18S rRNA in root and TUB in spikes. The present study has provided an important reference for analysis the expression of functional genes in L. chinensis.