Development and characterization of novel SSR markers in the endangered endemic species Ferula sadleriana

Abstract

Premise Ferula sadleriana (Apiaceae) is a polycarpic, perennial herb with a very limited range and small populations. It is listed as “endangered” on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Microsatellite markers can contribute to conservation efforts by allowing the study of the genetic structure of its shrinking populations. Methods and Results We used a microsatellite‐enriched library combined with an Illumina sequencing approach to develop simple sequence repeat markers in our target species. Out of 44 tested primer pairs, 22 provided specific products, and 13 showed heterologous amplification in the target species. Cross‐species amplification was achieved at 20 and 19 loci in two congeneric species, F. soongarica and F. tatarica, respectively. Conclusions The primers described here are the first tools that enable the population genetic characterization of F. sadleriana. Our results suggest a wider applicability in the genus Ferula.

Concordance of the spectral properties of dorsal wing scales with the phylogeographic structure of European male Polyommatus icarus butterflies

“…A high-quality DNA extract was provided to a commercially available service of GenoScreen Inc. (Lille, France), who sequenced a standard Nextera Library on MiSeq machine (Illumina Inc., San Diego, CA, USA) for 300 bp long, paired-end reads. Paired reads were merged by USearch v.11.0.667 48 , and QDD v.3.1.2 49 was used to mine potential SSR loci in silico from the Illumina reads (detailed screening criteria are described in Malkócs et al 50 ). Altogether, 50 potential microsatellite primer-pairs were tested in vivo for specific amplification in a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) using Polyommatus icarus DNA as template.…”

“…Altogether, 50 potential microsatellite primer-pairs were tested in vivo for specific amplification in a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) using Polyommatus icarus DNA as template. The details of the PCR and selection of primers followed a general procedure of the Debrecen lab detailed elsewhere 50 , which resulted in selection of 10 primer pairs amplifying species-specific, apparently polymorphic microsatellite loci in our target species (Suppl. Table S2 ).…”