Leptin Gene as Potential Gene for Molecular Selection on Cattle in Indonesia

Genetic improvement in beef and dairy cattle which can increase meat and milk production can be conducted through livestock selection based on molecular technique using leptin gene. The leptin gene is located on the fourth chromosome and consists of three exons and two introns. The leptin gene serves to produce the leptin hormone secreted by fat tissue. High concentrations of leptin hormone can increase feed intake and body metabolism thereby increasing livestock productivity. This paper describes the leptin gene including structure, mechanism of leptin hormone and polymorphisms in cows. These polymorphisms occur in the promoter, intron and exon sections associated with body and carcass weight and milk production in some cattle breed. Therefore, leptin gene can be used for selection towards increasing cattle productivity. Utilization of leptin gene can be done by single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) identification on the whole structure of leptin gene and to observe its effect on characteristics of cattle production in Indonesia

FA-6 Analysis of Sperm Freezing Capability of Various Bulls at the Singosari AI Center

Artificial insemination (AI) has been widely applied to improve genetic quality in cattle worldwide. One of the most important factors in AI program is the quality of semen.  Many procedures in semen processing have been developed to preserve the sperm quality. The Singosari AI center produces the frozen semen through cryopreservation method. During this process, the number of semen collected will be rejected if the quality is low. Fresh semen with less than 70% of sperm motility, before freezing semen with less than 55%of sperm motility and less than 40% of sperm post-thawing motility evaluation will be rejected, so that it was only the viable sperm will be processed to be frozen semen commercial. Therefore, comparative study was carried out to analyze the freezing capability of sperm

Profil Leukosit Rusa Timor(Rusa timorensis) Betina pada Tiap Fase Berahi yang Disuplementasi Magnesium,Zinc dan Selenium

Rendahnya efisiensi reproduksi dapat memperlambat peningkatan populasi ternak, terutama satwa harapan seperti rusa Timor. Hal ini dapat disebabkan oleh kondisi organ reproduksi tidak sehat, akibat tidak optimalnya kinerja leukosit melawan bakteri saat musim kawin (estrus). Unsur mineral seperti Magnesium, Zinc, dan Selenium diketahui mampu mengendalikan produksi dan fungsi leukosit. Tujuan penelitian adalah untuk mengetahui pengaruh suplementasi mineral (Mg, Zn, dan Se) terhadap total leukosit dan diferensial leukosit rusa Timor pada tiap fase berahi. Penelitian dilaksanakan pada tanggal 10 Maret sampai dengan 31 Mei 2016 di Penangkaran rusa Timor milik Bapak H. Yusuf Wartono di desa Margorejo, kecamatan Dawe, kabupaten Kudus. Materi yang digunakan adalah 10 ekor rusa betina dan darah dari masingmasing rusa tersebut. Masing-masing sebanyak 5 ekor rusa diadaptasikan serta diberi perlakuan suplementasi Mg, Zn, Se (T1) dan kontrol (T0) selama 8 minggu. Guna memperoleh waktu berahi yang seragam, dilakukan sinkronisasi berahi menggunakan implant Medroxy Progesterone Acetat (MPA) selama 16 hari. Kemudian dilakukan pengambilan darah selama satu siklus estrus, yakni proestrus (jam ke-24), estrus (jam ke-72, 84, 96, dan 108), metestrus (jam ke-120 dan 144), serta diestrus (jam ke-0) setelah spon vagina dilepas yang digunakan untuk analisis mineral darah, serta menghitung total leukosit dan diferensialnya. Parameter yang diamati adalah total leukosit, persentase neutrofil, eosnifoil, basofil, monosit, dan limfosit pada tiap fase berahi. Data total leukosit, persentase neutrofil, eosinofil, basofil, monosit, dan limfosit dianalisis menggunakan metode T-test, dan apabila data tidak normal atau tidak homogen, maka menggunakan metode Mann-Whitney U-test. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa total leukosit T0 dan T1 berturut-turut adalah 2.540-5.620/mm3 dan 3.700 – 7.000/mm3. Persentase neutrofil adalah 30,8 - 62,4% (T0) dan 41,5 - 60,8% (T1), eosinofil 5,4 - 10,7% (T0) dan 6,5 - 10,6% (T1), basofil 4,1 - 19,5% (T0) dan 3,3 - ,9,3% (T1), monosit 3,9 - 8,1% (T0) dan 4,4 - 14,8% (T1), serta limfosit antara 15,7 - 33,2% (T0) dan 19,5 - 30,8% (T1). Uji statistik menunjukkan bahwa total leukosit dan persentase diferensial leukosit tidak berbeda nyata (p>0.05) antara kelompok T0 dan T1. Disimpulkan suplementasi Mg, Zn, dan Se belum mampu mengubah jumlah total leukosit maupun persentase diferensial leukosit rusa Timor pada tiap fase berahi

REVIEW: Potential of water buffalo in world agriculture: Challenges and opportunities

Purpose: The purpose of this review was to provide a summary of the current agriculture determinants of economically important traits, and solutions for challenges in water buffalo production to maximize benefits for both producers and consumers. Sources: A comprehensive literature search was conducted on the current state of knowledge of water buffalo published in high-quality peer-reviewed journals. The search revealed important progress in generation of knowledge about uses, economically important traits, challenges, and science-based solutions of water buffalo. Molecular determinants of key economically important traits such as longevity, disease resistance, milk production and quality, meat production and quality, growth and development, heat stress, and fertility are deciphered. Synthesis: Water buffalo are important sources of food and fiber for the ever-increasing global human population. Drought-adapted water buffalo provide meat, and highly nutritious milk used to make cream, butter, yogurt, and cheese. Despite valuable contributions to agriculture and human well-being, there are current and emerging challenges and opportunities. High resolution sequencing of breeds and comprehensive annotation of the genomes are not yet available. In addition, there is a lack of fundamental knowledge about economically important traits including longevity, disease resistance, milk production and quality, meat production and quality, growth and development, heat tolerance, and fertility. With the advances in both basic science and technology, the gaps in the knowledge in these areas can be tackled with innovative research and systems biology approaches. In addition, the power of comparative animal and functional genomics can be harnessed to fill in the gaps. The core elements of sustainable solutions include education, innovative, transformative and translational research, and technology transfer. Conclusions and Applications: Knowledge about the fundamental biology of water buffalo gives the power to improve sustainable, efficient, and profitable production. Although a considerable amount of information is available, providing new knowledge about the economically important traits will enable precision farming in water buffalo agriculture. New data and knowledge generated through the genome to phenome will uncover essential molecular, cellular, and physiological markers for marker-assisted selection and breeding to enhance the efficiency of reproduction and production as well as product quality. Future studies using systems physiology approaches will advance the science and technology for water buffalo. These new frontiers are important for empowering the next generation of animal scientists and the public as well as for food security on the global scale