title: Genetic variation at microsatellite loci in the tropical herb Aphelandra aurantiaca (Acanthaceae).
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess the effect of forest fragmentation on genetic variation and population structure of Aphelandra aurantiaca (Acanthaceae), a tropical and ornamental herbaceous perennial plant, we developed the first microsatellite primers for the species.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Fourteen microsatellite markers were isolated and characterized from A. aurantiaca genomic libraries enriched for di-, tri-, and tetranucleotide repeat motifs. Polymorphism was evaluated in 107 individuals from four natural populations. Twelve out of 14 genetic markers were polymorphic. The number of alleles per locus ranged from two to 12, and the observed and expected heterozygosities ranged from 0.22 to 0.96 and from 0.20 to 0.87, respectively. Fixation indices ranged from -0.41 to 0.44.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These newly developed microsatellite markers for A. aurantiaca will be useful for future population genetic studies, specifically to detect the possible loss of genetic diversity due to habitat fragmentation.
authors.affiliation: Laboratorio de Genética Ecológica y Evolución, Departamento de Ecología Evolutiva, Instituto de Ecología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), Apartado Postal 70-275, 04510 Distrito Federal, Mexico.
authors.forename: Pilar
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Suárez-Montes
authors.affiliation: Laboratorio de Genética Ecológica y Evolución, Departamento de Ecología Evolutiva, Instituto de Ecología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), Apartado Postal 70-275, 04510 Distrito Federal, Mexico.
authors.forename: Rosalinda
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Tapia-López
authors.affiliation: Laboratorio de Genética Ecológica y Evolución, Departamento de Ecología Evolutiva, Instituto de Ecología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), Apartado Postal 70-275, 04510 Distrito Federal, Mexico.
authors.forename: Juan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Núñez-Farfán
keywords: Acanthaceae; Aphelandra aurantiaca; Los Tuxtlas tropical rainforest; gene flow; genetic structure; outcrossing rate