Development and characterization of microsatellite markers for Melastoma dodecandrum (Melastomataceae)

Abstract

• Premise of the study: Microsatellite markers were developed for Melastoma dodecandrum to investigate the genetic diversity of this species and to detect hybridization and introgression in Melastoma . • Methods and Results: Fourteen microsatellite loci were characterized by screening primers developed using two simple sequence repeat (SSR)–enriched libraries. Based on the genotyping of two natural populations, 13 loci were polymorphic and the number of alleles per locus ranged from two to 15. The observed and expected heterozygosities for the 13 loci ranged from 0.235 to 0.941 and 0.219 to 0.922, respectively. Cross‐species amplification was successful for all 14 loci in each of two congeneric species, M. candidum and M. sanguineum . • Conclusions: These polymorphic SSR markers could be used as multilocus molecular makers to study the population genetics of M. dodecandrum , as well as hybridization and introgression among Melastoma species.