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“Tung oil from tung tree (Vernicia fordii) is widely used as a drying ingredient in paints, varnishes, and other coatings and finishes. Recent research has focused on the understanding of the biosynthesis of oil in tung trees. Many oil biosynthetic genes have been identified in tung tree but little is known about the expression

patterns of the genes in tung seeds. Quantitative real-time-PCR (qPCR) assays are widely used for gene expression analysis. CP-868596 molecular weight One crucial task of qPCR assay design is to select stably expressed internal reference genes for data analysis. The objective of this study was to characterize the expression of potential reference genes in the tung tree to provide a sound basis for reliable and reproducible qPCR results. The expression of tung 60s ribosome protein L19 (Rpl19b), glyceraldehyde 3 phosphate dehydrogenase (Gapdh) and ubiquitin protein

ligase (Ubl) was examined by TaqMan and SYBR Green qPCR using RNA from three trees, three tissues (seeds, leaves and flowers) and 11 time events of developing seeds. The variations FGFR inhibitor of the three mRNA levels were compared between two RNA extraction methods, two cDNA preparations, and the same or different PCR plates. Overall results demonstrated that Rpl19b was the most stably expressed gene, followed closely by Ubl, and Gapdh was the worst among the three genes under optimized AZD6094 qPCR assay conditions. These results suggest

that Rpl19b and Ubl are preferable reference genes for both TaqMan and SYBR Green qPCR assays. The development of these reference genes for quantitative gene expression analyses in tung trees should facilitate identifying target genes for genetic engineering industrial oils in oilseed crops. Published by Elsevier B.V.”
“Pulmonary function testing is part of routine clinical practice in respiratory medicine. It is based around spirometry, which will remain the central measurement of lung function given its prognostic significance and its integral role in defining severity of airways disease. However, there is an increasing body of evidence from studies using new methods of lung function measurement which are providing new insights into pathophysiology of disease. This body of data is forming a basis for their future clinical role, once the economics of producing the relevant devices becomes attractive. The forced oscillation technique and multiple breath nitrogen washout are currently the most commonly used of the newer lung function techniques, which are refinements of long-established techniques. Optical coherence tomography, optical reflection, electrical impedance and vibration response imaging have arisen by development of novel devices. The recent use of these techniques is reviewed.