title: CicArMiSatDB: the chickpea microsatellite database.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Chickpea (Cicer arietinum) is a widely grown legume crop in tropical, sub-tropical and temperate regions. Molecular breeding approaches seem to be essential for enhancing crop productivity in chickpea. Until recently, limited numbers of molecular markers were available in the case of chickpea for use in molecular breeding. However, the recent advances in genomics facilitated the development of large scale markers especially SSRs (simple sequence repeats), the markers of choice in any breeding program. Availability of genome sequence very recently opens new avenues for accelerating molecular breeding approaches for chickpea improvement.
  
  
  METHODS
  In order to assist genetic studies and breeding applications, we have developed a user friendly relational database named the Chickpea Microsatellite Database (CicArMiSatDB http://cicarmisatdb.icrisat.org). This database provides detailed information on SSRs along with their features in the genome. SSRs have been classified and made accessible through an easy-to-use web interface.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This database is expected to help chickpea community in particular and legume community in general, to select SSRs of particular type or from a specific region in the genome to advance both basic genomics research as well as applied aspects of crop improvement.
authors: Dadakhalandar
authors: D
authors: Doddamani
authors: Mohan A V S K
authors: MA
authors: Katta
authors: Aamir W
authors: AW
authors: Khan
authors: Gaurav
authors: G
authors: Agarwal
authors: Trushar M
authors: TM
authors: Shah
authors: International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT), Patancheru 502324, India. r.k.varshney@cgiar.org.
authors: Rajeev K
authors: RK
authors: Varshney
mesh_terms: D001483:Base Sequence; D001947:Breeding; D002874:Chromosome Mapping; D029863:Cicer / Q000235:genetics*; D030541:Databases, Genetic; D023281:Genomics / Q000379:methods*; D020407:Internet; D018895:Microsatellite Repeats / Q000235:genetics*; D014584:User-Computer Interface