| Abstract: | We report on the development of 11 (from database expressed sequence tags) dbEST‐derived microsatellite markers in celery (Apium graveolens L. var. dulce). The sequences were obtained from DNA accessions available from GenBank and contained di‐, tri‐ and pentanucleotidic motifs. All the microsatellites were found in expressed sequence tags and they are expected to become useful tools for ecological, genetic and evolutionary studies, as well as for celery breeding. Polymorphism was explored in 16 celery commercial varieties, and marker transferability was tested on three accessions of celeriac (A. graveolens var. rapaceum). Primers and PCR conditions for microsatellite amplification are reported. |
