Source: SEAMEO BIOTROP's Research Grant | 2014

Abstract:

There are two types of  water buffaloes which is the result of domestication, river buffalo and swamp buffalo. River buffalo is known as a type of dairy buffalo that is capable of producing milk up to 2200 up to 2400 kg per year. In Indonesia, Murrah buffalo, one of the dairy buffalo is limited distributed in the province of North Sumatra as well as several other areas in Sumatra with a population that is not too high. Prospect of dairy buffalo development in Indonesia seems to be possible to support the need of national milk production.  Gene diacylglycerol acyltransferase (DGAT1) have been identified as the gene responsible for the quantity and quality of milk from dairy cow. DGAT1 protein consists of 489 amino acids which have a high degree of similarity among the various species of mammals.     The objective of this study was to determine the diversity or variation in DGAT1 gene of dairy buffalo maintained in North Sumatra, compared to swamp buffalo. sample used was  samples of hair follicles that were collected from 30 heads of dairy buffaloes and 15 heads of swamp buffaloes. The samples were extracted and measured using Nano-Drop 1000 Spectrophotometer v3.7. Primers used were specific primers for DGAT1 gene. The process of electrophoresis was performed using 1% agarose gel with SYBR safe staining, then sequenced to identify the presence of mutations or single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). The results obtained identified 10 SNPs especially in upstream area (promoter) and downstream area of the DGAT1 gene and there were two SNPs that were expected to be used as a marker to determine the purity of the type of buffalo tested.  Furthermore, SNPs located on chr14: 449.671 and chr14: 449.672 (DGAT1 gene promoter) strongly suspected as indicators that can be used as a marker to differentiate the types of buffalo based on quality and quantity of milk produced.

Keywords: DGAT1 gen, milk quality, dairy buffalo, swamp buffalo

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