Cross-amplification of nuclear microsatellite markers in two species of Cryptanthus Otto & A. Dietr. (Bromeliaceae)

Abstract

Thirty-eight nuclear microsatellite loci originally developed for Aechmea caudata Lindm., Orthophytum ophiuroides Louzada & Wand., Pitcairnia albiflos Herb., Vriesea gigantea (Gaud.) and V. simplex (Vell.) Beer were tested in Cryptanthus burle-marxii Leme and C. zonatus (Vis.) Vis. Of the 38 loci tested, 13 were polymorphic. Ten polymorphic microsatellite loci were selected to be amplified and genotyped in one population each of C. burle-marxii and C. zonatus. The observed and expected heterozygosity per locus in the C. burle-marxii population ranged from 0.050 to 0.850 and 0.050 to 0.770, respectively. In C. zonatus, the observed and expected heterozygosity per locus ranged from 0.167 to 0.846 and 0.290 to 0.692, respectively. The O. ophiuroides locus Op52 for the C. zonatus population and P. albiflos locus PaC05 for the two species showed significant departure from HWE. These ten polymorphic loci tested will be used to assess the genetic diversity and structure of the two species of Cryptanthus.