Sex determination of peach-faced lovebird (Agapornis roseicollis) using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) techniques

Abstract

Abstract Molecular sex determination is an effective solution to determine sex because it can be done early in the growing phase of a bird and the results are more accurate. Molecular sex determination is carried out based on the chromodomain helicase DNA binding (CHD) gene by using NP, P2, and MP primers. The purpose of this study was to determine the sex of peach-faced lovebird (Agapornis roseicollis) by detecting the intron size of the CHD gene on the Z chromosome and W chromosome by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). DNA samples were isolated from feathers of 14 lovebirds belonging to bird owners, which was sent to the Biochemical Laboratory, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Universitas Gadjah Mada. Amplification of the CHD gene using PCR techniques with NP, P2, MP primers electrophoresed with agarose gel 2,5%. Visualization under UV Transilluminator with a wavelength of 280 nm produce an amplicon as long as about 300-400 bp with males showing a single DNA band (ZZ) and females showing a double DNA band (ZW). Based on the electrophoresis results, it showed eight females and six males in 14 samples of lovebird used.