title: Identification and characterization of microsatellites from calafate (Berberis microphylla, Berberidaceae).
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Southern barberry or calafate (Berberis microphylla) is a shrub species endemic to the Patagonian region of South America that is used for human consumption. The fruit is very rich in vitamin C and anthocyanins and has a very high antioxidant capacity. There have been only a few genetic studies of this and other closely related species. •
  
  
  RESULTS
  Here we present the first 18 microsatellite markers of B. microphylla that were characterized using 66 accessions of calafate from Patagonia. On average, they had 7.6 alleles per marker, with an expected heterozygosity of 0.688. The informativeness of these markers was also evaluated in another 15 Berberis species, including most of the native and endemic Chilean species. •
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results confirm that these new simple sequence repeat markers are very polymorphic and potentially useful in genetic studies in any species of the genus Berberis.
authors.affiliation: Centro de Investigación La Platina, Instituto de Investigaciones Agropecuarias (INIA), Santa Rosa 11,610, Santiago, Chile.
authors.forename: Benjamín
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Varas
authors.affiliation: Centro de Investigación La Platina, Instituto de Investigaciones Agropecuarias (INIA), Santa Rosa 11,610, Santiago, Chile.
authors.forename: María H
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Castro
authors.affiliation: Depto. de Botánica, Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Oceanográficas, Universidad de Concepción, Concepción, Chile.
authors.forename: Roberto
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Rodriguez
authors.affiliation: Depto. de Análisis Instrumental, Facultad de Farmacia, Universidad de Concepción, Concepción, Chile.
authors.forename: Dietrich
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: von Baer
authors.affiliation: Depto. de Análisis Instrumental, Facultad de Farmacia, Universidad de Concepción, Concepción, Chile.
authors.forename: Claudia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Mardones
authors.affiliation: Centro de Investigación La Platina, Instituto de Investigaciones Agropecuarias (INIA), Santa Rosa 11,610, Santiago, Chile.
authors.forename: Patricio
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Hinrichsen
keywords: Berberidaceae; Berberis microphylla; genetic diversity; microsatellite; simple sequence repeat