Microsatellites or the eukaryotic genome: life cycle concept and neutrality issues

Microsatellite markers have a great discriminating power. Widely exploited in many disciplines such as forensic science, medical genetics, conservation biology and molecular ecology, they are also used in human population genetics to illuminate our origins. However, strikingly, their fundamental evolutionary mechanisms remain obscure, because of the difficulty of disentangling the complex and numerous factors involved. After a brief summary of their basic characteristics, the concept of life cycle size-dependant is explored. The major mechanisms known to explain the four different phases of their life (conception, birth, growing and senescence/renaissance) are discussed. Emerging questions about their neutrality are also investigated, pointing out a real need to improve our understanding of their mutational dynamics.