Parthenogenesis is an artificial oocytes activation process without paternal contribution. Blastocyst, derived from parthenogenesis, is one of potential source for pluripotent stem cell propagation. Unfortunately, previous studies reported that parthenogenetic embryo did not achieve exhilarating blastocyst rate. One of the component that predicted inhibit parthenogenetic embryo development is phosphate. Therefore, we try to modify culture medium in order to overcome that problem. The aim of this research was to produce and analyze the characteristics of parthenogenetic blastocyst developed in phosphate-free medium. Mouse oocytes obtained from adult female DDY by superovulation. The activator was strontium chloride 10 mM and diploidization with cytochalasin B 5 μg/ml. Medium for activation and culture medium were modified rat 1 cell embryo medium (MR1ECM) which is phosphate free. The results showed that parthenotes that were cultured in phosphate free medium reached higher blastocyst rate compared to the other groups. The increase of phosphate in culture medium lead to impaired parthenogenetic embryos development. Further experiment was made to analyze the differences between fertilized and parthenogenetic embryo in this medium. The experiment showed that diploid parthenogenetic could achieve high blastocyst rate (30.9±1.3%). The quality of diploid parthenogenetic blastocyst, based on cells number, viability, and ICM ratio, was lower than fertilized blastocyst.

High protein content in maggot is one of the advantages for increasing fish growth through artificial feed. This study aimed to find the best optimization and feed formulation for fish meal substitution with maggot meal on growth, feed utilization efficiency, and survival rate of milkfish (C. chanos). Milkfish (C. chanos) with an average weight of 0.62±0.01 gram/fish was used as test fish. Feeding is carried out at 07.00 a.m., 12.00 p.m., and 17:00 p.m. through fixed feeding rate method. The tested fish was kept for 42 days with a stocking density of 1 fish/l. The experimental design used was a completely randomized design with five treatments and three replications. The treatments which had been done were fish meal substitution with maggot meal as follows: A (0%), B (25%), C (50%), D (75%), and E (100%). The research parameters included total feed consumption (TFC), feed utilization efficiency (FUE), protein efficiency ratio (PER), relative growth rate (RGR), survival rate (SR), and water quality. The results showed that the fish meal substitution with maggot meal had a significant effect (p<0.05) on FUE, PER, RGR and had no significant effect (p>0.05) on TFC and SR. The best treatment of each treatment is in treatment C with a composition of 50% maggot meal substitution on fish meal which resulted in a TFC value of 40.17±4.58, FUE of 27.51±0.77, PER of 0.83±0.03%, and RGR of 2.34±0.10.

The extensive use of synthetic fungicides in controlling plant disease generates detrimental impacts on the environment and human health. In response to this problem, an alternative method was developed, known as biological control using antagonistic microorganisms. Since investigation on fungal endophytes of Garcinia atroviridis is still unclear, it was chosen for the study. The aim of the present work was to evaluate biocontrol potential of endophytic fungi against Colletotrichum gloeosporiodes, a phytopathogen that caused anthracnose disease. A total of 92 endophytic fungi were isolated from different tissue parts of Garcinia atroviridis including leaves, petioles, branches, and fruits. Results demonstrated that, most of endophytic fungal isolates showed some inhibitory action over the growth of C. gloeosporiodes during dual culture growth. Endophyte isolate F14 showed the highest antagonistic activity against Colletotrichum gloeosporiodes with 67.38% percentage inhibition radial growth (PIRG). However, 7 out of 92 isolates showed no inhibitory effect against Colletotrichum gloeosporiodes. In conclusion, endophytic fungi isolated from G. atroviridis indicate the potential as biocontrol agents. It is hoped that the finding of isolated endophytic fungi in this study with antagonistic activity against anthracnose pathogen may be used in biocontrol programmes of plant disease in the region.

The goal of the study was to ascertain sperm proteins as fertility markers by identifying sperm proteins in Angus bull sperm using proteomics and validate the markers through comparative sperm biology between Angus and Holstein bulls for which there is reliable fertility data available. We aimed to determine proteins differentially expressed in sperm from Angus bulls with different fertility phenotypes. Two-dimensional differential gel electrophoresis with mass-spectrometry, functional gene clusters, canonical pathways and protein networks, using integrated discovery bioinformatics software and ingenuity pathway analysis were used to identify and analyze sperm proteome. We identified 80 proteins that were differentially expressed in sperm of our experimental population. Using computational biology approaches we demonstrated involvement of structural proteins such as outer dense fiber of sperm tails 2 and enzymes including kinases, and phosphatases having functions in essential pathways in glycolysis/gluconeogenesis and free scavenging. The results are significant because analyzed proteins in Angus sperm are determinants of fertility, gene-environment interactions, as well as potential biomarkers for animal breeding.

Tongka Langit or Fe’i banana (Musa troglodytarum L.) has the T genome and a very high content of beta-carotene. It only grew and spread around the regions of Maluku islands and Papua. However, recently our team found this banana on the foot of mount Galunggung, West Java, so this raised the question about its origin. The objective of this study was to understand the genetic relationship between Tongka Langit from Galunggung and Maluku islands and compared it with other bananas with different genomes. Genetic diversity analysis was done using ITS2 DNA marker and dendrogram analysis showed three groups. From the comparison of the ITS2 sequences, there were no difference (100% identity) between the ITS2 sequence of Tongka Langit originating from Galunggung and Maluku. In conclusion, based on the ITS2 marker, the Tongka Langit were more distantly related to cultivars with A and B genomes, and there was no difference in the ITS2 sequence of Tongka Langit originating from Galunggung and Maluku. To the best of our knowledge, there is no previous report of genetic relationship between Tongka Langit from Galunggung and other regions.

Melon (Cucumis melo L.) is one of horticultural commodities with good economic prospect for melon farmers because of several advantages. 'Meloni' is result of crossing between ‘Sun Lady-3’ and ‘PI 371795’ by Genetics and Breeding Laboratory, Faculty of Biology, UGM. The 'Meloni' plant produces females flowers that expressed by CmACS-7 gene and it can be expected that melon plants 'Meloni' included in the primitive cultivars, while 'Meloni' is a cultivation cultivar. The aim of this research is to study the relation of 'Meloni' kinship to primitive and modern cultivars. Characterization of the CmACS-7 gene is begun by a total isolation process of RNA from a sample of melon plant flowers and detection using a specific primer. The cDNA bands obtained are sequenced and then phylogenetic analysis is performed based on CmACS-7 gene expression using MEGA 7.0. Result of this study show that the presence of the CmACS-7 gene in female and hermaphrodite flowers of ‘Meloni’, ‘PI 371795’, ‘Sun Lady-3’, and ‘Hikapel’. Phylogenetic tree analyze show that ‘Meloni’ from female plant, ‘PI 371795’ and ‘Sun Lady-3’ have closely relation, while 'Hikapel' separated from other cultivars.

Agricultural products may easily perish if they are not well taken care of during postharvest treatment. One of the main causes in damaged products is the biological contamination of pathogenic fungi, such as Rhizopus spp. that gives rise to Rhizopus rot symptoms. The purpose of this research was to isolate Rhizopus spp. from different agricultural products showing Rhizopus rot symptoms as well as to identify them. Rhizopus pure cultures were isolated on potato dextrose agar.  Identification was done through molecular techniques using PhytopureTM DNA Extraction Kit and Maxwell® RSC Plant DNA Kit for DNA isolation, internal transcribed spacer (ITS4 and ITS5) as primers for amplification, and molecular evolutionary genetics analysis 7 (MEGA7) for the reconstruction of phylogenetic tree from sequence result. The phylogenetic tree using Maximum Likelihood statistics with 1,000 replications of bootstrap test showed five strains, namely AR9, AR10, AR11, AR13, and AR14, which belong to R. delemar, and the other seven remaining strains, AR1-AR7 belong to R. stolonifer. Identification was clarified with morphological and physiological data using Rhizopus growth at temperature control of 33 and 42°C as well as microscopic observation involving rhizoid, columella, measurement of sporangiospores, and sporangiophores.

Crested macaque live in multimale-multifemale social groups where temporary association (consortship) typically occurs. Current theory and these limited qualitative observations suggest the hypothesis that behavior functions as a means for males to gain access to fertile females. The aim of this study was to investigate follower status based on quantitative method. Males were classified as either “consort males,” “followers,” and “non-followers” based on proximity maintanance every 15 minute uses scan sampling. Tactics used by followers were classified into 1) individual challenge, 2) coalitionary challenge, 3) abandoned takeover, and 4) opportunistic takeover. The proportion of successful takeovers by followers was calculated by dividing the number of takeovers by followers by the total number of observed takeovers. The proportion of followers is higher than average on D-5 and earlier, D-4, and D-3. Only two of the four consort takeover tactics were used by followers. For abandoned which made up 40% and for individual tactic was made up to 11.5% of consort takeovers tactic used. This study contribute to our understanding of alternative mating strategy in primate and provide the first quantitative data demonstrating that following is an alternative mating strategy in crested macaque (Macaca nigra).

Worker bees actively forage to supply colony necessity i.e., pollens, nectar, and resin. Flight activities of the worker bees are influenced by food availability and environmental conditions. This study aimed to measure flight activities of Lepidotrigona terminata in terms of leaving and returning to the nest (including carrying of pollen and pollen type) and their relation to environmental conditions. The observation of flight activities of L. terminata were conducted from August to December 2016, at 07.00-17.00 for 1 minute with 1 hour interval. Pollen load and pollen types were analyzed by the acetolysis method. Flight activities of leaving and returning to the nest were lower at 07.00-08.00 (1 individual/min) and at 16.00-17.00 (2 individuals/min). However, the peak activities occurred at 10.00 until 13.00 (8 and 6 individuals/min for leaving and returning to the nest, respectively). Temperature and light intensity were positively correlated with flight activities of bees that carried nectar and resin, as well as leaving the nest without garbage. The returned workers averagely carried 32,696 pollen grains from four pollen types. Based on selection index values, this stingless bee species mostly preferred Araceae (ⱳi=1.522) plant family for pollen resources to others, Anacardiaceae, Aceraceae, and Acanthaceae (x2=39.32, p<0.01).

Anti-cholesterol and anti-oxidant play a crucial role to combat cardiovascular disease (CVD), due to formation of arterial plagues from oxidation of cholesterol. In the past decades, bioactive peptides demonstrating anti-cholesterol and anti-oxidant activities have emerged as the alternative drugs. In this study, acid soluble collagen was extracted from the skin of snakehead murrel and employed to induce secretion of collagenase by Bacillus licheniformis F11.4. The collagenases secreted were in turn used to produce peptides hydrolysate and were grouped in two distinct collagenase fractions, designated as fraction D and F. Peptides hydrolysate produced by the fraction D was found to demonstrate HMG-CoA inhibitor activity comparable to pravastatin and limited anti-oxidant activity. Meanwhile, peptides hydrolysate generated using the fraction F demonstrated anti-oxidant activity comparable to BHT (2mM), vitamin C (2mM), and vitamin E (2mM), but limited HMG-CoA activity. Combination of the fraction D and F resulted in substantial HMG-CoA inhibition and anti-oxidant activities.