Selection and Validation of Reference Genes for qRT-PCR in under Different Experimental Conditions.

is the most consumed mushroom in Asia due to its nutritional and medicinal values, and the optimal reference gene is crucial for normalization of its gene expression analysis. Here, the expression stability of 18 candidate reference genes (CRGs) in was analyzed by three statistical algorithms (geNorm, NormFinder and BestKeeper) under different stresses (heat, cadmium excess and infection), different substrates (straw, sawdust and corn stalk) and different development stages (mycelia, primordia and fruit bodies). Among the 18 CRGs, , and exhibited the highest expression stability in under all conditions, while , and showed the least stable expression. The best reference gene in different conditions was different. The pairwise variation values showed that two genes would be sufficient for accurate normalization under different conditions of . This study will contribute to more accurate estimation of the gene relative expression levels under different conditions using the optimal reference gene in qRT-PCR (quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction) analysis.