The Ghrelin Receptor (Ghsr) Gene Polymorphism in Indonesian Local Chicken and Crossbreed is Associated with Carcass Traits

Ghrelin receptor (GHSR) gene is candidate gene for growth performance in chicken by modulating growth hormone release from the pituitary by binding to its ligand of ghrelin. Ghrelin gene, or growth hormone secretagogue (GHS) gene, is well known as feed intake and energy homeostasis regulator in mammals and birds. The objectives of this study were to identify the polymorphism of the T1857C GHSR locus in Indonesian local chicken and to evaluate its effects on carcass traits. The gene polymorphism was identified using polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) using Hin6I restriction enzyme. Effect of genotype on carcass composition was analyzed using SAS General Linear Model (GLM) procedure. The genotyping was performed on 343 individuals including Merawang, Pelung, Sentul, Kampung, broiler (strain Cobb, parent stock), F1 crossbred of Kampung x broiler (strain Cobb, parent stock), and F2 crossbred of Kampung x broiler (strain Cobb, parent stock). All individuals were successfully amplified and were resulted in a 470 bp PCR product. This locus was polymorphic with two alleles (T and C) and three genotypes (TT, CT, and CC). The T allele and TT genotype were predominant in all populations. Individuals with CT genotype were significantly had higher live weight at 26w, carcass weight, commercial cuts weights, and muscles weights than TT genotype in F2 crossbred of Kampung x broiler population. Association of the T1857C GHSR locus-polymorphism with chicken carcass composition has been described in Indonesian chicken, providing evidence that GHSR might be an important candidate gene for chicken carcass traits

Elucidating endotoxin-biomolecule interactions with FRET: extending the frontiers of their supramolecular complexation

Endotoxin has been one of the topical chemical contaminants of major concern to researchers, especially in the field of bioprocessing. This major concern of researchers stems from the fact that the presence of Gram-negative bacterial endotoxin in intracellular products is unavoidable and requires complex downstream purification steps. For instance, endotoxin interacts with recombinant proteins, peptides, antibodies and aptamers and these interactions have formed the foundation for most biosensors for endotoxin detection. It has become imperative for researchers to engineer reliable means/techniques to detect, separate and remove endotoxin, without compromising the quality and quantity of the end-product. However, the underlying mechanism involved during endotoxin-biomolecule interaction is still a gray area. The use of quantitative molecular microscopy that provides high resolution of biomolecules is highly promising, hence, may lead to the development of improved endotoxin detection strategies in biomolecule preparation. Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET) spectroscopy is one of the emerging most powerful tools compatible with most super-resolution techniques for the analysis of molecular interactions. However, the scope of FRET has not been well-exploited in the analysis of endotoxin-biomolecule interaction. This article reviews endotoxin, its pathophysiological consequences and the interaction with biomolecules. Herein, we outline the common potential ways of using FRET to extend the current understanding of endotoxin-biomolecule interaction with the inference that a detailed understanding of the interaction is a prerequisite for the design of strategies for endotoxin identification and removal from protein milieus