Five commonly-used reference genes： ACT （actin）, UBE （ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme）, RPL2 （ribosomal protein L2）, BRP II （RNA polymerase II subunit）, and NADH （nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide） were examined using geNorm software as reference genes for RT-qPCR. Among the tested reference genes, ACT and UBE were the most stable in all samples. In parallel, expression analysis of nitrilases in Brassica juncea var. tumida, was performed to preliminarily investigate the molecular interactions between nitrilase and clubroot development at 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, and 40 d postinoculation （dpi） with a suspension of resting spores of Plasmodiophora brassicae. The results showed that different gene expressions of nitrilases were regulated during the initial periods of clubroot development. The expression level of BjNIT1 increased sharply from 20 to 40 dpi in infected roots while there were no remarkable changes in healthy roots. From 15 to 30 dpi, the expression levels of BjNIT2 and BjNIT4 in infected roots were lower than those in non-infected roots. Finally, BjNIT2 in treatment was down approximately to control at 40 dpi. Our results suggest that BjNIT1, which promoted overproductions of auxin, might be involved in P. brassicae infection of B. juncea.
