title: Polymorphic microsatellite markers for a wind-dispersed tropical tree species, Triplaris cumingiana (Polygonaceae).
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Novel microsatellite markers were characterized in the wind-dispersed and dioecious neotropical tree Triplaris cumingiana (Polygonaceae) for use in understanding the ecological processes and genetic impacts of pollen- and seed-mediated gene flow in tropical forests. •
  
  
  RESULTS
  Sixty-two microsatellite primer pairs were screened, from which 12 markers showing five or more alleles per locus (range 5-17) were tested on 47 individuals. Observed and expected heterozygosities averaged 0.692 and 0.731, respectively. Polymorphism information content was between 0.417 and 0.874. Linkage disequilibrium was observed in one of the 66 pairwise comparisons between loci. Two loci showed deviation from Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium. An additional 14 markers exhibiting lower polymorphism were characterized on a smaller number of individuals. •
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These microsatellite markers have high levels of polymorphism and reproducibility and will be useful in studying gene flow and population structure in T. cumingiana.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Michigan, 830 North University Avenue, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109-1048 USA.
authors.forename: Na
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Wei
authors.affiliation: Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Michigan, 830 North University Avenue, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109-1048 USA ; Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Apartado Postal 0843-03092, Balboa, Ancón, Republic of Panama.
authors.forename: Christopher W
authors.initials: CW
authors.lastname: Dick
keywords: PacBio sequencing platform; Triplaris cumingiana; gene flow; microsatellite marker; single-molecule real-time sequencing; wind dispersal