Characterization of 24 transferable microsatellite loci in four skullcaps (Scutellaria, Labiatae).
OBJECTIVE
Transferable polymorphic microsatellite loci for four skullcaps, Scutellaria indica, S. taiwanensis, S. austrotaiwanensis, and S. playfairii, were developed for future studies of the mating system and population structure of these species. Interspecific amplification was also tested in various Scutellaria species.


RESULTS
Twelve novel polymorphic microsatellite loci were isolated from four S. taiwanensis specimens, and seven are interspecifically transferable. Microsatellite loci developed from S. austrotaiwanensis in a previous study were also analyzed in the other three species, and 12 loci were found to be transferable. Allele numbers of the total 24 loci for S. indica, S. taiwanensis, S. playfairii, and S. austrotaiwanensis are two to four, two, two to five, and two to three, respectively, with an expected heterozygosity ranging from 0.114-0.661, 0.062-0.499, 0.280-0.730, and 0.268-0.662, respectively. The interspecies transferability of these 24 loci was further tested in another 10 Scutellaria species, including three species native to Taiwan. Seventeen loci were found to be interspecifically amplifiable, especially among the Taiwan native species.


CONCLUSIONS
These highly polymorphic and transferable loci will be useful for future studies of the mating system of closely related Scutellaria species.
Department of Biological Sciences, National Sun Yat-sen University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
Yu-Chung
YC
Chiang
Bing-Hong
BH
Huang
Huei-Chuan
HC
Shih
Tsai-Wen
TW
Hsu
Chun-Wen
CW
Chang
Pei-Chun
PC
Liao
D000483:Alleles; D001483:Base Sequence; D017931:DNA Primers / Q000235:genetics; D018744:DNA, Plant / Q000235:genetics; D056426:Genetic Loci; D005819:Genetic Markers; D014644:Genetic Variation; D006579:Heterozygote; D018895:Microsatellite Repeats / Q000235:genetics*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic; D031363:Scutellaria / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics*; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D013624:Taiwan
D017931:DNA Primers; D018744:DNA, Plant; D005819:Genetic Markers