Preformation and epigenesis converge to specify primordial germ cell fate in the early Drosophila embryo

A critical step in animal development is the specification of primordial germ cells (PGCs), the precursors of the germline. Two seemingly mutually exclusive mechanisms are implemented across the animal kingdom: epigenesis and preformation. In epigenesis, PGC specification is non-autonomous and depends on extrinsic signaling pathways. The BMP pathway provides the key PGC specification signals in mammals. Preformation is autonomous and mediated by determinants localized within PGCs. In Drosophila, a classic example of preformation, constituents of the germ plasm localized at the embryonic posterior are thought to be both necessary and sufficient for proper determination of PGCs. Contrary to this longstanding model, here we show that these localized determinants are insufficient by themselves to direct PGC specification in blastoderm stage embryos. Instead, we find that the BMP signaling pathway is required at multiple steps during the specification process and functions in conjunction with components of the germ plasm to orchestrate PGC fate.

Model Pengambilan Keputusan Pemilihan Bibit Unggul Sapi Bali Menggunakan Metode Weighted Product

<p class="Abstrak">Kesulitan dalam mencari bibit unggul pada ternak sapi bali, menyebabkan bibit unggul yang terpilih semakin tidak produktif dalam hal penggemukan ternak. Penentuan bibit unggul pada ternak sapi bali merupakan hal yang sangat krusial bagi para pengambil keputusan yang terkait dalam hal ini adalah peternak sapi bali. Jika tidak dilakukan secara tepat dan akurat, maka pemilihan bibit unggul pada sapi bali yang keliru seringkali mengakibatkan berbagai permasalahan. Model pengambilan keputusan dapat digunakan untuk membantu manusia khususnya peternak sapi dalam mengambil keputusan. Metode <em>Weighted Product</em> adalah metode yang sangat efektif dan efisien dalam pemilihan bibit unggul, karena waktu yang diperlukan untuk perhitungan jauh lebih singkat. Tujuan penelitian ini adalah membuat suatu model pengambilan keputusan untuk pemilihan bibit unggul terbaik pada ternak sapi bali. Adapun model pengambilan keputusan ini membantu memberikan rekomendasi kepada peternak dalam proses pemilihan bibit unggul sapi bali sebagai bahan pertimbangan dalam memilih secara tepat, akurat dan mempermudah proses pemilihan dengan keputusan terbaik.</p><p class="Abstrak"> </p><p class="Abstrak"><em><strong>Abstract</strong></em></p><p class="Abstract"><em>The difficulty to look for superior seeds of Bali cattle causes the selected superior germ plasm being more unproductive in case of fattening cattle. The decision of superior seeds of Bali cattle is a crucial thing for the decision maker, related with this case is Bali cattle breeder. If it is not organized accurately, then the selection of superior seeds on the wrong bali cows often lead to various problems. Decision-making models can be used to help humans, especially cattle ranchers in making decisions. Weighted Product Method is a very effective and efficient method for selecting superior seeds, because the timing needed for calculation is much shorter. The purpose of this research is to make a model of decision making for selection superior seeds of Bali cattle. The decision-making model helps provide recommendations to farmers in the process of selecting superior bali cattle seeds as a material consideration in choosing the right, accurate and simplify the selection process with the best decision.</em></p><p class="Abstrak"><em><strong><br /></strong></em></p>

Germline competent mesoderm: the substrate for vertebrate germline and somatic stem cells?

ABSTRACT In vitro production of tissue-specific stem cells [e.g. haematopoietic stem cells (HSCs)] is a key goal of regenerative medicine. However, recent efforts to produce fully functional tissue-specific stem cells have fallen short. One possible cause of shortcomings may be that model organisms used to characterize basic vertebrate embryology (Xenopus, zebrafish, chick) may employ molecular mechanisms for stem cell specification that are not conserved in humans, a prominent example being the specification of primordial germ cells (PGCs). Germ plasm irreversibly specifies PGCs in many models; however, it is not conserved in humans, which produce PGCs from tissue termed germline-competent mesoderm (GLCM). GLCM is not conserved in organisms containing germ plasm, or even in mice, but understanding its developmental potential could unlock successful production of other stem cell types. GLCM was first discovered in embryos from the axolotl and its conservation has since been demonstrated in pigs, which develop from a flat-disc embryo like humans. Together these findings suggest that GLCM is a conserved basal trait of vertebrate embryos. Moreover, the immortal nature of germ cells suggests that immortality is retained during GLCM specification; here we suggest that the demonstrated pluripotency of GLCM accounts for retention of immortality in somatic stem cell types as well. This article has an associated Future Leaders to Watch interview with the author of the paper.

Perilaku Peternak dalam Pemeliharaan Itik Magelang Guna Menghasilkan Ternak yang Aman, Sehat dan Produktif di Desa Ngadirojo Kecamatan Secang, Kabupaten Magelang

Duck breeding have a good prospect and provide a promising society protein demand as consumption food. Magelang Ducks is one of productive local poultry produces meats and eggs. Magelang Duck as a germ plasm basically haven’t had a proper attention either from society and government. These can be seen from its traditional farming system and considered as a side business. If this issues were still continuesly occurs, it was afraid that Magelang Duck as germ plasm could be extinct. This study was conducted to describe the farmers behaviour in Magelang Duck farming system in duck farming central Ngadirojo village, Secang subdistrict, Magelang district to provide a safe, healthy and productive livestock. The samples used were local farming purposively provided or purposive random sampling as many as 30 persons. The method used in this study was survey, interview and observation in the field. Data were analyzed by z-test. The results showed that farmers behaviour level on farming system were 23%, farmers behaviour level on providing and building nest were 11%, behaviour level on providing floor pads nest were 43%, behaviour level on feeding was 47%, behaviour level on concentrate addition in feed were 20%, behaviour level on vaccination were 17%, the livestock level infected by desease were 94%. The results showed that most of farmers had a low behaviour on Magelang Duck breeding.

Evolutionary conservation of maternal RNA localization in fishes and amphibians revealed by TOMO-Seq

Asymmetrical localization of biomolecules inside the egg, results in uneven cell division and establishment of many biological processes, cell types and the body plan. However, our knowledge about evolutionary conservation of localized mRNAs is still limited to a few candidates. Our goal was to compare localization profiles along the animal-vegetal axis of mature eggs from four models, Xenopus laevis, Danio rerio, Ambystoma mexicanum and Acipenser ruthenus using the spatial expression method called TOMO-Seq. We revealed that RNAs of many known important genes such as germ layer determinants, germ plasm factors and members of key signalling pathways, are localized in completely different profiles among the models. There was also a poor correlation between vegetally localized genes but a relatively good correlation between animally localized genes. These findings indicate that the regulation of embryonic development within the animal kingdom is highly diverse and cannot be deduced based on a single model.

PEMANFAATAN DAN PROSPEK SEREALIA MINOR JALI (Coix lacryma-jobi L.) DALAM PEMBUATAN KULINER UNTUK PENGEMBANGAN USAHA INDUSTRI RUMAH TANGGA

Jali (Coix lacryma–jobi L.) merupakan serealia minor yang sudah dikenal dan dikonsumsi masyarakat lokal Indonesia. Tanaman ini sudah jarang dibudidayakan petani bahkan dalam skala kecil sekalipun. Padahal tepung jali bergizi tinggi dan dapat digunakan sebagai pengganti terigu dalam pembuatan berbagai jenis kuliner. Telah dilakukan berbagai penelitian meliputi aspek budidaya, panen dan pasca panen jali untuk pembuatan aneka kuliner. Tujuan yang ingin dicapai adalah jali menarik untuk dibudidayakan dan dimanfaatkan secara optimal untuk pengembangan usaha industri rumah tangga skala kecil dan menengah berbasis sumberdaya lokal. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan budidaya jali dapat dilakukan di tempat terbuka maupun agak ternaungi (maksimal 50% naungan). Dalam budidayanya, pemupukan diperlukan untuk mendapatkan hasil optimal. Kuliner berupa kue kering dengan bahan dasar 100% tepung jali menunjukkan citarasa yang khas, renyah, agak padat dengan tekstur butiran-butiran lembut khas tepung jali. Apabila dicampur dengan pati taka, kue kering menjadi renyah, lebih remah, meski masih terasa sedikit butiran-butiran lembut khas jali. Kue kering dari tepung jali + tepung mocaf mempunyai cita rasa renyah, tidak terlalu remah daripada jali +taka dan masih terasa sedikit berpasir khas tepung jali dengan butiran-butiran pasir yang lebih lembut, terasa sedikit agak asam, beraroma bau khas fermentasi. Rasa kue kering jali enak dan khas. Pengolahan jali ini diharapkan dapat diterapkan langsung di masyarakat dan dapat dikembangkan sebagai industri rumahan. Dengan pembuatan kue kering dari bahan tepung jali, pati taka dan mocaf ini, diharapkan menjadi daya tarik untuk menciptakan variasi pangan yang berkualitas, sehingga diminati masyarakat dan dapat meningkatkan penghasilan masyarakat. Kata Kunci: Jali, budidaya, gizi, kue kering, industri rumah tangga ABSTRACTJali (Coix lacryma-jobi L.) is a minor cereal that known and consumed by local Indonesian people. The cultivation was rare even on a small scale. Meanwhile, the high nutritious jali flour can be used as a substitute for wheat flour in the producing various types of culinary such as cookies. Many researchs have been done to find out the cultivation, harvest and post-harvest of jali in order to re-popularized jali for development of small and medium home industry based on local germ plasm resources. The results showed that jali can be cultivated both on open or on maximum 50% shading area. For cultivation, the fertilization treatment is needed to reach an optimal grain production. The cookies produced based on 100% jali flour showed a special taste, crunchy, and slightly sandyness (as a typical of jali flour). When mixtured with taka starch, the cookies become crunchy, more crumbly, with little bit sandyness. Cookies made from jali + mocaf flour have a crunchy taste, not too crumbly than jali + taka and still taste a little gritty, sandyness, a little sour, and smell of fermentation. The jali cookies is delicious with special taste. It is hoped that cookies produced based on jali, tacca and mocaf flour can be utilized by the local community to developed their home industry for special, delicious and high nutritious culinary to increase people's income. Key words: Jali, cultivation, nutrition, cookies, home industry.

174 What Quality and Fertility Should We Expect When Using Semen Cryopreservation and AI with Livestock? a Comparison Across Species

Assisted reproductive technologies (ART) can be used across most agricultural species and will result in some degree of fertility when employed correctly. Still, conversations with agricultural producers and scientists (corporate, academic, governmental) repeatedly reveal that they do not know what success rates they should anticipate when using some ARTs, specifically semen cryopreservation and artificial insemination, with agricultural species (beef and dairy cattle, goats, pigs, poultry, sheep). These perceptions hinder ART application within the agricultural and scientific communities. Understanding these expected results is a critical component that is used to guide the USDA National Animal Germplasm Program laboratory operations for collecting, freezing and using germ plasm (semen, eggs, embryos, DNA, tissues, organs, cells), has consequently resulted in growth of the national collection, and provided tools, technologies, and educational opportunities for agricultural producers with documented success. Therefore, the intent of this presentation is to provide an overview of what results should be expected when using semen cryopreservation and artificial insemination across livestock species, explain the factors that influence successful use of these ARTs, which should encourage a more broad acceptance of their use with all agricultural species, and discuss opportunities for research and optimization that will improve fertility when using these technologies.