title: Characterization of microsatellite loci in Festuca gautieri (Poaceae) and transferability to F. eskia and F. xpicoeuropeana.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Enriched genomic libraries were used to isolate and characterize microsatellite loci in Festuca gautieri, an important plant component of subalpine calcareous grasslands of the eastern Iberian Peninsula, the Pyrenees, and the Cantabrian Mountains. Microsatellites were required to investigate landscape genetics across its distribution range and at a narrower geographical scale within the Ordesa y Monte Perdido, Aigüestortes, and Picos de Europa Spanish national parks.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Ten polymorphic microsatellite loci were characterized. They amplified a total of 116 alleles in a sample of 30 individuals of F. gautieri, showing high levels of genetic diversity (expected heterozygosity = 0.821). Cross-species transferability to two other close congeners, F. eskia and F ×picoeuropeana, increased the total number of alleles to 137. These taxa showed lower numbers of alleles but similar levels of genetic diversity to F. gautieri.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These microsatellite primers will be useful in population and landscape genetics and in establishing conservation strategies for these characteristic elements of subalpine pastures.
authors: Centro de Investigaciones sobre Desertificación, Moncada, Valencia, Spain. j.gabriel.segarra@uv.es
authors: José Gabriel
authors: JG
authors: Segarra-Moragues
authors: Pilar
authors: P
authors: Catalán
mesh_terms: D031751:Festuca / Q000235:genetics*; D018014:Gene Transfer Techniques; D056426:Genetic Loci / Q000235:genetics*; D005828:Genetics, Population; D018895:Microsatellite Repeats / Q000235:genetics*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D059372:Nucleotide Motifs / Q000235:genetics; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic