title: Development and characterization of nuclear microsatellite markers in the endophytic fungus Epichloë festucae (Clavicipitaceae).
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Microsatellite primers were developed for the endophytic fungus Epichloë festucae, which is symbiotic with Festuca rubra, to study the population genetics of the species and to compare population structures between E. festucae and its host F. rubra. •
  
  
  RESULTS
  We developed 14 polymorphic markers using the unplaced genomic scaffold sequences of E. festucae from GenBank. The number of alleles per locus (A) varied from four to 16, and unbiased haploid diversity (h) was 0.717 in eight populations located in the Faroe Islands, Finland, and Spain. The Spanish populations possessed a higher number of alleles and haploid diversity (on average A = 5.1 and h = 0.591, respectively) compared to northern populations (on average A = 1.5 and h = 0.199, respectively). •
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These polymorphic markers will be used by grass breeders for uses including the improvement of commercial turfgrass cultivars, and by population geneticists to study different species of the Epichloë genus.
authors.affiliation: MTT Agrifood Research Finland, Plant Production Research, Tietotie, 31600 Jokioinen, Finland.
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: von Cräutlein
authors.affiliation: Department of Agricultural Sciences, University of Helsinki, Latokartanonkaari 5, FI-00014 University of Helsinki, Finland.
authors.forename: Helena
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Korpelainen
authors.affiliation: MTT Agrifood Research Finland, Plant Production Research, Tietotie, 31600 Jokioinen, Finland ; Department of Biology, University of Turku, 20014 Turku, Finland.
authors.forename: Marjo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Helander
authors.affiliation: Department of Agricultural Sciences, University of Helsinki, Latokartanonkaari 5, FI-00014 University of Helsinki, Finland.
authors.forename: Annika
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ohberg
authors.affiliation: MTT Agrifood Research Finland, Plant Production Research, Tietotie, 31600 Jokioinen, Finland.
authors.forename: Kari
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Saikkonen
keywords: Ascomycota; Clavicipitaceae; Epichloë festucae; Festuca rubra; endophyte; fungus; grass