Polymorphic microsatellites in Antirrhinum (Scrophulariaceae), a genus with low levels of nuclear sequence variability

Abstract

In Antirrhinum, reproductive systems range from self-compatible to self-incompatible, but the actual outcrossing rates of self-compatible populations are not known. Thus the extent to which levels of variability and inbreeding differ among Antirrhinum populations in not known. In order to address this issue we isolated nine Antirrhinum nuclear microsatellite loci. In contrast to several nuclear genes that show low levels of sequence variation, six of the microsatellite loci indicate high levels of variability within and between Antirrhinum species. The highly self-compatible Antirrhinum majus ssp. cirrhigerum population has high levels of variability and no significant deviation from Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium, suggesting substantial rates of outcrossing.