title: Development and characterization of microsatellite markers for Melastoma dodecandrum (Melastomataceae).
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Microsatellite markers were developed for Melastoma dodecandrum to investigate the genetic diversity of this species and to detect hybridization and introgression in Melastoma. •
  
  
  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.
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol and Guangdong Key Laboratory of Plant Resources, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510275, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Ting
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Guangzhou Institute of Landscape Gardening, Guangzhou 510405, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Seping
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Dai
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Plant Resources Conservation and Sustainable Utilization, South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510650, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol and Guangdong Key Laboratory of Plant Resources, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510275, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Rongshu
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol and Guangdong Key Laboratory of Plant Resources, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510275, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Qiang
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Fan
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol and Guangdong Key Laboratory of Plant Resources, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510275, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Suhua
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Shi
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol and Guangdong Key Laboratory of Plant Resources, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510275, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Renchao
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Zhou
keywords: Melastoma dodecandrum; Melastomataceae; cross-species amplification; hybridization; microsatellite