title: Development and characterization of microsatellite loci for the Moroccan endemic endangered species Argania spinosa (Sapotaceae).
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Microsatellite loci were developed for the Moroccan endemic endangered species Argania spinosa with a combination of a typical library enrichment procedure and a 454 GS FLX Titanium-based high-throughput sequencing approach. •
  
  
  RESULTS
  A genomic DNA library was enriched and further screened using (GA)15, (GTA)8, and (TTC)8 biotin-labeled probes coupled with chemi-luminescence detection. To increase simple sequence repeat (SSR) loci number, an ultra-high-throughput sequencing-based approach was used. Evaluation of all primer pairs was performed with labeled dUTP on an ABI 3130xl sequencer. Eleven polymorphic SSR loci were selected out of 79 SSR regions and extensively characterized on 150 individuals from eight populations. Total alleles ranged from six to 19 alleles per locus while expected heterozygosity ranged from 0.618 to 0.869. •
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The SSRs developed here will be used to further characterize the genetic diversity of A. spinosa across its distribution range, mainly in the southern part of Morocco and southwestern Algeria. They may also be transferable to other Sapotaceae species.
authors.affiliation: Plant Breeding Unit Rabat Regional Research Center, National Institute of Agronomy Research, Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique (INRA) Maroc, B.P. 6570 Rabat-Instituts, 10101 Rabat, Morocco.
authors.forename: Yasmina
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: El Bahloul
authors.affiliation: Unit of Research in Plant Biology, University of Namur, rue de Bruxelles 61, B-5000 Namur, Belgium.
authors.forename: Nicolas
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Dauchot
authors.affiliation: Plant Breeding Unit Rabat Regional Research Center, National Institute of Agronomy Research, Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique (INRA) Maroc, B.P. 6570 Rabat-Instituts, 10101 Rabat, Morocco.
authors.forename: Ikrame
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Machtoun
authors.affiliation: Plant Breeding Unit Rabat Regional Research Center, National Institute of Agronomy Research, Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique (INRA) Maroc, B.P. 6570 Rabat-Instituts, 10101 Rabat, Morocco.
authors.forename: Fatima
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Gaboun
authors.affiliation: Unit of Research in Plant Biology, University of Namur, rue de Bruxelles 61, B-5000 Namur, Belgium.
authors.forename: Pierre
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Van Cutsem
keywords: Argania spinosa; Sapotaceae; argan tree; dUTP labeling; microsatellite; simple sequence repeats (SSRs)