beta-Actin is a useful internal control for tissue-specific gene expression studies using quantitative real-time PCR in the half-smooth tongue sole Cynoglossus semilaevis challenged with LPS or Vibrio anguillarum.

beta-Actin has been frequently used as an internal control (gene) or as a housekeeping gene to normalize the expression of the target gene(s) or mRNA levels between different samples. However, the beta-actin expression has been shown to be influenced by the sample type and experimental conditions. If beta-actin could be used as a reference gene for the half-smooth tongue sole Cynoglossus semilaevis remains ill-defined.