All PCR reactions were performed in a 25-µL final volume containing 2× Brilliant II SYBR Green Master Mix (Stratagene), 300-900 nM of each specific primer and 1 µL of cDNA. PCR amplification was run on a Mx 3005P QPCR System (Stratagene) using 96-well optical plates under the following conditions: 10 min at 95 °C for polymerase activation, and 40 cycles of 3-segment amplification with 30 s at 95 °C (for denaturation), 30 s at 56-60 °C, and 40 s at 72 °C for elongation. Primer concentration and annealing temperatures were optimised to individual genes; specifications are available from the Authors upon request. A dissociation step was added after elongation to ensure that the desired amplicon was detected. The dissociation step eliminates non-specific fluorescence signal and ensures accurate quantification of the desired product. Finally, a melting curve was produced to confirm single gene-specific peaks and to detect primer/dimer formation by heating samples from 60 to 95 °C. PCR efficiencies were calculated using a relative standard curve derived from a pooled cDNA mixture (a 10-fold dilution series with five measuring points). All experiments were replicated twice for each gene with triplicate sample runs within each replication and a no-template control was included using water instead of cDNA.