Using Feathers for Molecular Sexing of Straw-headed Bulbul (Pycnonotus zeylanicus) Offsprings

Sex determination of straw-headed bulbul offspring was carried out from 27 offspring’s plucked feather samples in a captive breeding program. Using direct PCR, this study provided more evidences that feather samples are reliable as a source of DNA for non-invasive and effective molecular sexing. The study also revealed that the offspring sex ratio of straw-headed bulbul was slightly inclined towards males, but there was no significant difference from the value of 0.5.  

Plasmid Profiles and Prevalence of Intermediately Virulent Rhodococcus equi from Pigs in Nakhonpathom Province, Thailand: Identification of a New Variant of the 70-kb Virulence Plasmid, Type 18

The prevalence of intermediately virulent Rhodococcus equi isolates from pig submaxillary lymph nodes from four slaughterhouses in Nakhonpathom province, Thailand, was investigated. The isolates were tested for the presence of virulence plasmids and the 20-kDa virulence-associated protein antigen (VapB) gene by PCR. Of the 734 submaxillary lymph nodes tested, 19 (2.6%) produced positive cultures of R. equi. All 19 isolates were positive for the VapB gene and contained virulence plasmids that were identified as type 1 (six isolates), type 6 (two isolates), type 7 (one isolate), type 16 (two isolates), and a new variant (eight isolates). Based on the restriction digestion patterns of the plasmid DNAs, we tentatively designated the variant as type 18. Investigation of the prevalence and plasmid profiles of VapB-positive R. equi in pigs should be extended throughout Thailand to evaluate potential sources of zoonotic infections

Short Communication: A new primer set in CHD1 gene for bird sex identification

Determine sex is difficult for many bird species that are sexually monomorphic or only dimorphic in the adult stage. Many molecular markers have been developed for DNA sexing, which were mostly based on identifying Z and W chromosomes of avians. The sex determination of birds was mostly applied universal primer set such as P2/P8 or 2550F/2718R. However, those universal primers that were designed sometimes could not good result consistency in non-ratite birds or ratite birds. Therefore, we improved a specific primer design with deletion site in W chromosome to amplify the female-specific segments on Chromodomain-helicase DNA binding protein-1 (CHD1) gene from alignment sequences CHD1-Z and CHD1-W of Macrocephalon maleo S. Müller, 1846. This study aims to design a new pair of primer targeting a section of the CHD1 gene that can be amplified in non-ratite birds, the name of a new primer is In-Sex F/In-Sex R. A new primer set amplified DNA fragments in around 650 or 550 base pairs of CHD1-Z and also, 350 base pairs of CHD1-W. The result has successfully amplified the sex of multiple species on orders Galliformes, Passeriformes, Accipitriformes, and Strigiformes. This analysis can be helpful to the effort of in-situ or ex-situ management and conservation programs e.g the mating system in birds. And also, the analysis can be helpful for sexing data in the case of captive birds before releasing in natural habitat or reintroduction programs. © 2021, Society for Indonesian Biodiversity. All rights reserved

PCR-based Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism for Subtyping of Salmonella from Chicken Isolates

ABSTRACT Genotypic diversity in two flagellin genes, fliC and fljB, encoding phase-1 and phase-2 flagellin of Salmonella enterica, offers a potential biomarker for Salmonella subtyping. Forty-seven Salmonella isolates of 20 different serovars derived from chicken samples in Thailand were studied using the fliC/ fljB PCR-based RFLP assay. With two restriction endonucleases, MboI and HhaI, the fliC showed 11 and 9 patterns, while the fljB showed 6 and 7 patterns respectively. Though the PCR-based RFLP test cannot replace serotyping, the assay is based on the flagellin genes encoding proteins on the bacterial surface that are related to serotyping scheme. Overall, the assay was reproducible and successfully applied to simply screen Salmonella serovars as an alternative subtyping test for rapid traceability of Salmonella contamination in chicken production

Mycobacterium tuberculosis Infection of Domesticated Asian Elephants, Thailand

Four Asian elephants were confirmed to be infected with Mycobacterium tuberculosis by bacterial culture, other diagnostic procedures, and sequencing of 16S–23S rDNA internal transcribed spacer region, 16S rRNA, and gyrase B gene sequences. Genotyping showed that the infectious agents originated from 4 sources in Thailand. To identify infections, a combination of diagnostic assays is essential