• EF1α and UBQ5 are often cited as the most stable housekeeping genes under abiotic stress in rice, including heavy metal exposure.
• Reference: A study by Jain et al. (2006) systematically evaluated reference genes for normalization in rice and found UBQ5 and EF1α stable across various stress conditions.
• For rice under arsenic stress, UBQ5 and eEF-1α are strong candidates for housekeeping genes, but empirical validation is always required to confirm stability in your specific experimental setup.

For qPCR normalization in rice (Oryza sativa var. Nipponbare) under arsenic stress, stable housekeeping genes include eEF-1α (Elongation Factor 1-alpha), Cyclophilin (CYP), and Histone H3. These genes have shown consistent expression under abiotic stresses like heavy metals. Validate their stability using tools like GeNorm, NormFinder, or BestKeeper and consider using multiple reference genes for accurate normalization.

Mohammad Rakibul Hoque, Could you please share reference for the above answer?

I apologize for not providing a specific reference in my previous answer. To identify the most suitable housekeeping gene for your specific conditions, I recommend the following steps:

1. Use tools like GeNorm, NormFinder, and BestKeeper to validate the stability of candidate genes under arsenic stress.

2. Search for recent research articles that report stable reference genes in rice under heavy metal stress, particularly arsenic.

Thank you!