Myostatin (MSTN) Gene Detection in Nisi Chicken Using Real-Time PCR

Abstract

The myostatin (MSTN) gene provides instructions for making myostatin, which helps control the growth and development of tissue throughout the body and limits muscle growth. Myostatin has been studied in mice, cows, and other animals. However, the MSTN gene has not been studied in the nisi chicken. Further, the lack of information using the real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) to detect the MTSN gene is still to be explored. Accordingly, this study aimed to detect the MSTN gene in nisi chickens, one of the local-endemic Indonesian chickens, using real-time PCR. DNA of twenty-five male chickens was extracted using an automatic DNA extraction tool, and the MSTN gene was analyzed by real-time PCR Rotor-Gene 5 Plex. Ct and Tm values were indicators of the successful amplification of the MSTN gene. The results showed that the MSTN gene was detected by Ct 16.00 and Tm 80.00, respectively. The study novelty is based on the nisi chicken as the local-endemic chicken from Indonesia as the study objective and the application of the real-time PCR as a method to detect the MSTN gene. From this study, we concluded that real-time PCR is a powerful method to detect the MSTN gene of the nisi chicken. MSTN gene detection using real-time PCR in nisi chickens is a step forward in molecular biology research to identify genetic diversity that can be one of the genetic markers in species DNA research. The aspect that is novel in this study lies in the use of the real-time PCR method in conducting tests to detect DNA species in nisi chickens. The lack of information in the field of research using this technique makes this research essential to be a source of information and reference in similar studies and one of the genetic markers that can apply to other studies in the field of species diversity. This study uses a qualitative testing method with real-time PCR. The interpretation of the results is based on the Ct and Tm values detected during amplification using real-time PCR, where the target gene detected is the MSTN gene. Ct and Tm values were used to see the success of real-time PCR in detecting target genes. Based on the results of real-time PCR, the MSTN gene was detected at Cy 16.00 and Tm. 80.00. In conclusion, the MSTN gene that was the target in this study was detected, which was characterized by amplification of the target DNA as indicated by the Ct and Tm values in real-time PCR.