Assessment of an internal reference gene in Rhodobacter sphaeroides grown under cobalt exposure

Aim of this study is the identification of an appropriate internal reference gene to quantify gene transcripts isolated from Rhodobacter (R.) sphaeroides cells grown in presence of high concentrations of cobalt ions. RNA was isolated using a commercial kit protocol ad-hoc modified. Several primer pairs were used to perform reverse transcription PCR and real-time PCR to assess the suitable internal reference gene whose expression is not affected by cobalt ions, identified with the gene rsp0154. This finding can be of definite help in the investigation of the response to heavy metals of the chosen strain, a potential candidate for environmental applications.