title: Characterization of fungus-specific microsatellite markers in the lichen fungus Usnea subfloridana (Parmeliaceae).
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Microsatellite loci were developed for the haploid lichenized fungal species Usnea subfloridana to study its population subdivision and the species' response to forest disturbance, fragmentation, and environmental pollution. •
  
  
  RESULTS
  We developed 14 polymorphic microsatellite markers using 454 pyrosequencing data of U. subfloridana. The number of alleles per locus ranged from three to 15, and Nei's unbiased gene diversity averaged over nine markers without null alleles ranged from 0.64 to 0.67. Evaluation of the cross-species amplification in U. glabrescens and U. wasmuthii indicates that these markers are also informative in other Usnea species. •
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These markers will allow us to investigate the effects of forest management and environmental pollution on genetic population structure of U. subfloridana and closely related species. Moreover, they will help facilitate phylogeographic studies of U. subfloridana across the species' distribution area in Europe.
authors.affiliation: Swiss Federal Research Institute WSL, Zürcherstrasse 111, CH-8903 Birmensdorf, Switzerland ; Department of Botany, Institute of Ecology and Earth Sciences, University of Tartu, Lai 38, 51005 Tartu, Estonia.
authors.forename: Tiiu
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Tõrra
authors.affiliation: Swiss Federal Research Institute WSL, Zürcherstrasse 111, CH-8903 Birmensdorf, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Carolina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Cornejo
authors.affiliation: Swiss Federal Research Institute WSL, Zürcherstrasse 111, CH-8903 Birmensdorf, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Saran
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Cheenacharoen
authors.affiliation: Swiss Federal Research Institute WSL, Zürcherstrasse 111, CH-8903 Birmensdorf, Switzerland ; Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre (BiK-F), Senckenberg Gesellschaft für Naturforschung, 60325 Frankfurt am Main, Germany.
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Dal Grande
authors.affiliation: Department of Botany, Institute of Ecology and Earth Sciences, University of Tartu, Lai 38, 51005 Tartu, Estonia.
authors.forename: Liis
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Marmor
authors.affiliation: Swiss Federal Research Institute WSL, Zürcherstrasse 111, CH-8903 Birmensdorf, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Christoph
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Scheidegger
keywords: Ascomycetes; Usnea florida; Usnea subfloridana; lichen-forming fungi; microsatellites; population subdivision