Novel microsatellite loci for Sebaea aurea (Gentianaceae) and cross-amplification in related species

• Premise of the study: Microsatellite loci were developed in Sebaea aurea (Gentianaceae) to investigate the functional role of
diplostigmaty (i.e., the presence of additional stigmas along the style).
• Methods and Results: One hundred seventy-four and 180 microsatellite loci were isolated through 454 shotgun sequencing of
genomic and microsatellite-enriched DNA libraries, respectively. Sixteen polymorphic microsatellite loci were characterized,
and 12 of them were selected to genotype individuals from two populations. Microsatellite amplifi cation was conducted in two
multiplex groups, each containing six microsatellite loci. Cross-species amplifi cation was tested in seven other species of
Sebaea . The 12 novel microsatellite loci amplifi ed only in the two most closely related species to S. aurea (i.e., S. ambigua and
S. minutifl ora ) and were also polymorphic in these two species.
• Conclusions: These results demonstrate the usefulness of this set of newly developed microsatellite loci to investigate the mating
system and population genetic structure in S. aurea and related species.