Identification of new reference genes with stable expression patterns for cell cycle experiments in human leukemia cell lines

Abstract Cell cycle-dependent gene expression analysis is particularly important as numerous genes show tightly regulated expression patterns at different phases of the cell cycle. For cancer cells, analysis of cell cycle-related events is of paramount significance since tumorigenesis is characteris...

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Main Authors: Otília Tóth, Gergely Attila Rácz, Eszter Oláh, Máté Tóth, Edit Szabó, György Várady, Beáta G. Vértessy, Nikolett Nagy
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Nature Portfolio 2025-01-01
Series:Scientific Reports
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-84802-5
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author Otília Tóth
Gergely Attila Rácz
Eszter Oláh
Máté Tóth
Edit Szabó
György Várady
Beáta G. Vértessy
Nikolett Nagy
author_facet Otília Tóth
Gergely Attila Rácz
Eszter Oláh
Máté Tóth
Edit Szabó
György Várady
Beáta G. Vértessy
Nikolett Nagy
author_sort Otília Tóth
collection DOAJ
description Abstract Cell cycle-dependent gene expression analysis is particularly important as numerous genes show tightly regulated expression patterns at different phases of the cell cycle. For cancer cells, analysis of cell cycle-related events is of paramount significance since tumorigenesis is characteristically coupled to cell cycle perturbations. RT-qPCR is a highly sensitive technique to investigate cell cycle-dependent transcriptional regulation. However, for reliable evaluation of qPCR data reference genes with stable mRNA expression are required. Although several studies investigating cell cycle-dependent gene expression employ frequently used reference genes, the suitability of these reference genes has not been thoroughly investigated so far. Moreover, such potential reference genes for cell cycle analysis have not been described in the literature. Therefore, we aimed to identify reference genes characterized with stable expression throughout the cell cycle in MOLT4 and U937 human leukemia cell lines synchronized with RO-3306 CDK1 inhibitor using RT-qPCR. Here we show that for cell cycle-dependent gene expression analysis the commonly used TBP is suitable, while the recently recognized reference genes SNW1 and CNOT4 are applicable in a cell line-dependent manner. We also suggest that proper selection of reference genes for each experimental condition is crucial for reliable normalization as these aspects can severely compromise conclusions.
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spelling doaj-art-a76b5b4c11434fcfbd62c96cd51e89a92025-08-20T02:36:34ZengNature PortfolioScientific Reports2045-23222025-01-0115111010.1038/s41598-024-84802-5Identification of new reference genes with stable expression patterns for cell cycle experiments in human leukemia cell linesOtília Tóth0Gergely Attila Rácz1Eszter Oláh2Máté Tóth3Edit Szabó4György Várady5Beáta G. Vértessy6Nikolett Nagy7Department of Applied Biotechnology and Food Science, Faculty of Chemical Technology and Biotechnology, BME Budapest University of Technology and EconomicsInstitute of Molecular Life Sciences, HUN-REN Research Centre for Natural SciencesInstitute of Molecular Life Sciences, HUN-REN Research Centre for Natural SciencesDepartment of Applied Biotechnology and Food Science, Faculty of Chemical Technology and Biotechnology, BME Budapest University of Technology and EconomicsInstitute of Molecular Life Sciences, HUN-REN Research Centre for Natural SciencesInstitute of Molecular Life Sciences, HUN-REN Research Centre for Natural SciencesDepartment of Applied Biotechnology and Food Science, Faculty of Chemical Technology and Biotechnology, BME Budapest University of Technology and EconomicsInstitute of Molecular Life Sciences, HUN-REN Research Centre for Natural SciencesAbstract Cell cycle-dependent gene expression analysis is particularly important as numerous genes show tightly regulated expression patterns at different phases of the cell cycle. For cancer cells, analysis of cell cycle-related events is of paramount significance since tumorigenesis is characteristically coupled to cell cycle perturbations. RT-qPCR is a highly sensitive technique to investigate cell cycle-dependent transcriptional regulation. However, for reliable evaluation of qPCR data reference genes with stable mRNA expression are required. Although several studies investigating cell cycle-dependent gene expression employ frequently used reference genes, the suitability of these reference genes has not been thoroughly investigated so far. Moreover, such potential reference genes for cell cycle analysis have not been described in the literature. Therefore, we aimed to identify reference genes characterized with stable expression throughout the cell cycle in MOLT4 and U937 human leukemia cell lines synchronized with RO-3306 CDK1 inhibitor using RT-qPCR. Here we show that for cell cycle-dependent gene expression analysis the commonly used TBP is suitable, while the recently recognized reference genes SNW1 and CNOT4 are applicable in a cell line-dependent manner. We also suggest that proper selection of reference genes for each experimental condition is crucial for reliable normalization as these aspects can severely compromise conclusions.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-84802-5
spellingShingle Otília Tóth
Gergely Attila Rácz
Eszter Oláh
Máté Tóth
Edit Szabó
György Várady
Beáta G. Vértessy
Nikolett Nagy
Identification of new reference genes with stable expression patterns for cell cycle experiments in human leukemia cell lines
Scientific Reports
title Identification of new reference genes with stable expression patterns for cell cycle experiments in human leukemia cell lines
title_full Identification of new reference genes with stable expression patterns for cell cycle experiments in human leukemia cell lines
title_fullStr Identification of new reference genes with stable expression patterns for cell cycle experiments in human leukemia cell lines
title_full_unstemmed Identification of new reference genes with stable expression patterns for cell cycle experiments in human leukemia cell lines
title_short Identification of new reference genes with stable expression patterns for cell cycle experiments in human leukemia cell lines
title_sort identification of new reference genes with stable expression patterns for cell cycle experiments in human leukemia cell lines
url https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-84802-5
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AT matetoth identificationofnewreferencegeneswithstableexpressionpatternsforcellcycleexperimentsinhumanleukemiacelllines
AT editszabo identificationofnewreferencegeneswithstableexpressionpatternsforcellcycleexperimentsinhumanleukemiacelllines
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