Development of microsatellite markers in the toxic dinoflagellate Alexandrium tamarense (Dinophyceae)

Abstract

Outbreaks of paralytic shellfish poisoning caused by the toxic dinoflagellate Alexandrium tamarense (Dinophyceae) are currently a serious problem from an economic and food hygiene point of view throughout the world. We isolated 13 polymorphic microsatellite loci from this species. These loci provided microsatellite markers with high polymorphism ranging from four to 15 alleles per locus and gene diversity between 0.632 and 0.974. The markers are available for more detailed investigations of genetic structure and gene flow of A. tamarense populations.