Isolation and characterization of 10 microsatellite loci in Cneorum tricoccon (Cneoraceae), a Mediterranean relict plant

? Premise of the study: The main aim of this study was to isolate and characterize microsatellite loci in Cneorum tricoccon (Cneoraceae), a Mediterranean shrub relict of the early Tertiary, which inhabits western Mediterranean islands and coasts. Microsatellites will be useful for investigating biogeography and landscape genetics across the species distribution range, including current or past gene flow. ? Methods and Results: Seventeen microsatellite loci were characterized, of which 10 were polymorphic and amplified for a total of 56 alleles in three populations of C. tricoccon. The markers revealed average coefficients of expected heterozygosity (H(e) = 0.425), observed heterozygosity (H(o) = 0.282), and inbreeding coefficient value per population (F(IS) = 0.408). ? Conclusions: These microsatellite primers will potentially be useful in the study of population and landscape genetics, conservation status of isolated populations, island-continental distribution, current or historical movements between populations, and in the investigation of the consequences of dispersal mechanisms of these plants.     

Microsatellite primers for Halophila ovalis and cross-amplification in H. minor (Hydrocharitaceae)

?Premise of the study: Polymorphic microsatellite primers were developed in the seagrass Halophila ovalis to investigate genetic variation. ?Methods and Results: Ten polymorphic microsatellite loci were developed in Halophila ovalis. The number of alleles per locus ranged from 2 to 12 across 80 H. ovalis individuals. These loci were successfully amplified in H. minor, and four were monomorphic across 30 individuals. ?Conclusions: These results from four H. ovalis populations and one H. minor population show the broad utility of microsatellite loci in future studies of population genetics. Four distinct alleles were present in H. minor but absent in H. ovalis, indicating potential divergence between them.     

Nuclear and chloroplast SSR markers in Paeonia delavayi (Paeoniaceae) and cross-species amplification in P. ludlowii

? Premise of the study: Microsatellite primers were developed for Paeonia delavayi and P. ludlowii (Paeoniaceae) to study their population genetics and phytogeography. ? Methods and Results: Nine polymorphic nuclear microsatellite loci were isolated from an enriched library of P. delavayi and primers were designed. The number of alleles per locus ranged from two to 16; the observed and expected heterozygosities ranged from 0.014 to 0.687 and 0.042 to 0.875, respectively. Six polymorphic chloroplast microsatellite loci were identified in P. delavayi and primers were provided. The number of alleles per locus ranged from two to six and the polymorphic information content ranged from 0.08 to 0.716. Both nuclear and chloroplast primers were successfully applicable to P. ludlowii. ? Conclusions: The markers developed here will facilitate analyses of genetic diversity, population genetic structure, phytogeographical patterns, and conservation for P. delavayi and P. ludlowii.     

Isolation and characterization of novel microsatellite markers for Arctium minus (Compositae)

? Premise of the study: Microsatellite primers were developed for the invasive plant Arctium minus to investigate the effects of facultative self-pollination and the biannual habit on population genetic structure, as well as the colonization of the Americas by this Eurasian species. ? Methods and Results: Sixteen di- and trinucleotide microsatellite loci were identified in six populations. The number of alleles per locus ranged from one to 10, observed heterozygosities ranged from 0.000 to 0.897, and the mean value of F(IS) was 0.316. ? Conclusions: These results indicate the utility of these loci in future studies of population genetics in A. minus.     

Microsatellite primers for the endangered aquatic herb, Ottelia acuminata (Hydrocharitaceae)

? Premise of the study: Microsatellite primers were developed in the endangered aquatic herb, Ottelia acuminata, to characterize its genetic diversity and understand its population structure. ? Methods and Results: Eight polymorphic microsatellite markers were developed from two populations of O. acuminata in China. The number of alleles per locus ranged from one to 15; the observed and expected heterozygosities ranged from 0 to 0.885 and from 0 to 0.888, respectively, in the two populations. Selected loci also amplified successfully in O. sinensis. ? Conclusions: These microsatellite markers will facilitate further studies on the conservation genetics and evolutionary history of O. acuminata.     

Ten microsatellite markers in endangered species Sauvagesia rhodoleuca (Ochnaceae)

? Premise of the study: We developed microsatellite markers to investigate the level of genetic diversity within and among populations of the endemic shrub Sauvagesia rhodoleuca in China. ? Methods and Results: Ten polymorphic microsatellite loci were identified in five populations. The number of alleles per locus varied from 2 to 16. Observed and expected heterozygosities ranged from 0.000 to 1.000 and from 0.000 to 0.726, respectively. ? Conclusions: The results provide basic information on genetic diversity for future studies of population genetics in S. rhodoleuca.     

Characterization of 14 microsatellite loci in a tropical palm, Attalea phalerata (Arecaceae)

? Premise of the study: We developed microsatellite primers for the widely distributed tropical palm Attalea phalerata for studies on the dispersal and spatial genetic structure of palm populations. ? Methods and Results: Fourteen di-, tri-, and tetra-nucleotide microsatellite primer pairs were identified. The number of alleles in the population tested ranged between 3 and 25, with a mean of 12.1. Ten microsatellite loci exhibited no significant deviations from Hardy-Weinberg Equilibrium or presence of null alleles, and their combined probability of exclusion was 0.998. ? Conclusions: These microsatellite loci will be useful in parentage analysis and population genetics studies of Attalea phalerata.     

Polymorphic chloroplast microsatellite loci in Nelumbo (Nelumbonaceae)

? Premise of the study: To study population genetics, phylogeography, and hybridization of Nelumbo (Nelumbonaceae), chloroplast microsatellite markers were developed. ? Methods and Results: Seventeen microsatellite loci were identified from the chloroplast genomes of N. nucifera and N. lutea. Polymorphisms were assessed in three populations of N. nucifera and one population of N. lutea. Nine loci were found to be polymorphic in N. nucifera, and all 17 loci were found to be polymorphic in N. lutea. In N. nucifera, the number of alleles per locus ranged from two to six, and the unbiased haploid diversity per locus ranged from 0.198 to 0.790. In N. lutea, the number of alleles ranged from two to four, and the unbiased haploid diversity per locus ranged from 0.245 to 0.694. ? Conclusions: The identified chloroplast simple sequence repeat markers will be useful for the study of genetic diversity, phylogeography, and identification of Nelumbo cultivars.     

Isolation and characteristics of eight novel polymorphic microsatellite loci in Lippia alba (Verbenaceae)

? Premise of the study: A set of eight microsatellite (simple sequence repeat [SSR]) markers for Lippia alba, an important medicinal and cosmetic plant, was developed to aid studies of genetic diversity and to define efficient strategies for breeding programs. ? Methods and Results: Using a (CT)(8)- and (GT)(8)-enriched library, a total of 11 SSR loci were developed and optimized in L. alba. Of the 11 loci, eight were found to be polymorphic after screening 61 accessions from two populations. The parameters used to characterize loci were expected heterozygosity (H(e)) and number of alleles. A total of 44 alleles were identified, with an average of 5.5 alleles per loci, which were moderately to highly informative according to H(e). ? Conclusions: These new SSR markers have potential for informing genetic diversity, allele mining, and mapping studies and will be used to generate information for breeding programs of L. alba.     

Development and characterization of 20 new polymorphic microsatellite markers from Mangifera indica (Anacardiaceae)

? Premise of the study: Twenty microsatellite loci for mango (Mangifera indica), an important commercial fruit tree in East Asia, were developed to evaluate the genetic diversity and identification of cultivars. ? Methods and Results: The 20 new microsatellite markers were isolated from mango using a magnetic bead enrichment method, and polymorphisms were identified in 22 mango cultivars. The number of alleles ranged from one to nine, with expected heterozygosity ranging from 0 to 0.826. The polymorphism information content ranged from 0 to 0.756 with a mean of 0.525. ? Conclusions: These new microsatellite loci should be useful and convenient for further studies of the genetic diversity and identification of cultivars in mango.     

Population structure of the African savannah elephant inferred from mitochondrial control region sequences and nuclear microsatellite loci

Two hundred and thirty-six mitochondrial DNA nucleotide sequences were used in combination with polymorphism at four nuclear microsatellite loci to assess the amount and distribution of genetic variation within and between African savannah elephants. They were sampled from 11 localities in eastern, western and southern Africa. In the total sample, 43 haplotypes were identified and an overall nucleotide diversity of 2.0% was observed. High levels of polymorphism were also observed at the microsatellite loci both at the level of number of alleles and gene diversity. Nine to 14 alleles per locus across populations and 44 alleles in the total sample were found. The gene diversity ranged from 0.51 to 0.72 in the localities studied. An analysis of molecular variance showed significant genetic differentiation between populations within regions and also between regions. The extent of subdivision between populations at the mtDNA control region was approximately twice as high as shown by the microsatellite loci (mtDNA F(ST) = 0.59; microsatellite R(ST) = 0.31). We discuss our results in the light of Pleistocene refugia and attribute the observed pattern to population divergence in allopatry accompanied by a recent population admixture following a recent population expansion.     

Microsatellite primers in the Chinese dove tree, Davidia involucrata (Cornaceae), a relic species of the Tertiary

? Premise of the study: The first microsatellite primers were developed for Davidia involucrata, an endangered relic species of the Tertiary in China, to further describe its genetic variability and population structure. ? Methods and Results: Using the Fast Isolation by AFLP of Sequences Containing Repeats (FIASCO) protocol, 15 polymorphic microsatellite loci were isolated and characterized in 20 individuals from the germplasm collections of D. involucrata at the Hunan Forest Botanical Garden. High levels of polymorphism were revealed, with the total number of alleles per locus and the number of alleles per locus per individual ranging from two to 13 and from one to six, respectively. ? Conclusions: The multibanded patterns of microsatellite loci obtained in the current study confirmed that D. involucrata might be a polyploid species. The primers will be useful for studies of genetic diversity and for guiding conservation strategies for D. involucrata.     

Development and characterization of 38 polymorphic microsatellite markers from an economically important fruit tree, the Indian jujube

? Premise of the study: A total of 38 polymorphic microsatellite loci of the Indian jujube (Ziziphus mauritiana), an economically important fruit tree, were developed to evaluate genetic diversity and aid in the identification of cultivars. ? Methods and Results: The 38 microsatellite markers were isolated from the Indian jujube using a magnetic bead enrichment method, and polymorphisms were identified in 24 Indian jujube cultivars. The number of alleles ranged from two to 13, with expected heterozygosity ranging from 0.261 to 0.898. The polymorphism information content ranged from 0.248 to 0.889, with a mean of 0.616. Of these 38 simple sequence repeat loci, 20 loci from Z. jujuba (Chinese jujube) were successfully amplified using the simple sequence repeat primer sets. ? Conclusions: These polymorphic loci should be useful in further studies of the genetic diversity and the identification of cultivars of both the Indian jujube and the Chinese jujube.     

Isolation and characterization of a first set of polymorphic microsatellite markers in saffron, Crocus sativus (Iridaceae)

? Premise of the study: Twelve novel polymorphic microsatellite loci were developed and characterized from a repeat-enriched genomic library of Crocus sativus to study population and conservation genetics of this economically and medically important species. ? Methods and Results: The microsatellite loci were isolated using a modified Fast Isolation by AFLP of Sequences COntaining repeats (FIASCO) method. The average number of alleles per locus was 2.6. The observed and expected heterozygosities varied from 0.07 to 0.92 and 0.1 to 0.58, respectively. Polymorphic information content value ranged from 0.09 to 0.55 with an average of 0.34. Four out of twelve loci showed significant departures from Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium. ? Conclusions: The microsatellite markers reported here will be useful for evaluating genetic diversity and will likely serve as an ideal resource for use in marker-assisted breeding programs, germplasm analysis, and varietal identification.     

Development of microsatellite markers for Ophiocordyceps sinensis (Ophiocordycipitaceae) Using an ISSR-TAIL-PCR method

? Premise of the study: Microsatellite primers were developed for Ophiocordyceps sinensis, an endangered medicinal fungus endemic to the Tibetan Plateau, to investigate its genetic diversity and population structure. ? Methods and Results: An inter-simple sequence repeat (ISSR)-thermal asymmetric interlaced (TAIL)-PCR method was established to develop microsatellite markers. A total of 30 perfect and imperfect microsatellites were identified in 48 individuals of O. sinensis from five provinces within China representing different populations. Seventeen loci were polymorphic with two to four alleles per locus, while 13 were monomorphic. ? Conclusions: The results indicate that the microsatellite markers developed here may be used in studies of population genetics and conservation biology of O. sinensis. Furthermore, the ISSR-TAIL-PCR method is a simple strategy for microsatellite marker development.     

茶花鸡群体遗传多样性

茶花鸡是我国具有独特遗传特性的地方家禽品种,为了进一步阐明其群体遗传变异和遗传结构状况,采用了33个家鸡特异性的微卫星标记对该鸡种自然群体中30个个体进行了多态性电泳检测。33个微卫星座位共检测到105个等位基因,所有座位都呈现出多态性,每个座位的等位基因数在2~5个之间,平均每个座位等位基因数3.20个。群体平均杂合度和平均多态信息含量分别为0.612 9和0.527 6。结果表明,茶花鸡自然群体遗传多样性较丰富。     

New microsatellite loci in the dwarf yams Dioscorea group Epipetrum (Dioscoreaceae)

? Premise of the study: Microsatellite loci were isolated and characterized from enriched genomic libraries of two taxa of the Chilean Epipetrum group of Dioscorea to assess their levels of genetic diversity and population differentiation. ? Methods and Results: Eleven microsatellite loci were identified. Six out of nine microsatellites from D. biloba amplified in D. humilis, and the two microsatellites from D. humilis amplified in both taxa. Two different sets of eight loci amplified in each of the two tested taxa, D. biloba and D. humilis. The average number of alleles was 5.75 and 5 for D. biloba and D. humilis, respectively. Higher levels of mean genetic diversity were found in D. biloba (H(E) = 0.639) than in D. humilis (H(E) = 0.414). ? Conclusions: These microsatellite primers will be useful in population genetic studies and to establish conservation strategies in the endangered taxa of the Epipetrum group of Dioscorea.     

Isolation and characterization of 50 nuclear microsatellite markers for Cathaya argyrophylla, a Chinese endemic conifer

? Premise of the study: Microsatellite primers were developed for the endangered Cathaya argyrophylla (Pinaceae) to investigate its genetic diversity and population genetic structure, as well as its evolutionary history. ? Methods and Results: Fifty dinucleotide microsatellite loci were identified in two populations. The number of alleles per locus ranged from 1 to 6, with a mean of 2.84. The observed and expected heterozygosities ranged from 0 to 0.889 and from 0 to 0.779, respectively. ? Conclusions: These markers will facilitate further studies on the population genetics and evolutionary history of Cathaya argyrophylla.     

Development of microsatellite markers for Dimorphandra mollis (Leguminosae), a widespread tree from the Brazilian cerrado

? Premise of the study: Microsatellite markers were developed for Dimorphandra mollis (Leguminosae), a widespread tree in the Brazilian cerrado (a savanna-like vegetation). ? Methods and Results: Microsatellite markers were developed from an enriched library. The analyses of polymorphism were based on 56 individuals from three populations. Nine microsatellite loci were polymorphic, with the number of alleles per locus ranging from three to 10 across populations. The observed and expected heterozygosities per locus and population ranged from 0.062 to 0.850 and from 0.062 to 0.832, respectively. ? Conclusions: These microsatellites provide an efficient tool for population genetics studies and will be used to assess the genetic diversity and spatial genetic structure of D. mollis.     

Microsatellite primers in the endangered quillwort Isoetes hypsophila (Isoetaceae) and cross-amplification in I. sinensis

? Premise of the study: The first microsatellite primers were developed for Isoetes hypsophila, an endangered quillwort species endemic to the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau in China, to further describe its genetic variability and population structure. We also examined their cross-amplification in a congeneric species, I. sinensis. ? Methods and Results: Using the Fast Isolation by AFLP of Sequences COntaining Repeats (FIASCO) protocol, nine microsatellite loci were isolated and characterized in 32 samples from four natural populations of I. hypsophila. The primers amplified di- and hexanucleotide repeats with three to 11 alleles per locus. Seven of nine primers were cross-amplified in I. sinensis with two to seven alleles per locus. ? Conclusion: The microsatellite loci primers will be useful for studies of genetic diversity and gene flow in natural populations of Isoetes species.