title: Development of highly variable microsatellite markers for the tetraploidSilene stellata(Caryophyllaceae).
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We designed and tested microsatellite markers for the North American native speciesSilene stellata(Caryophyllaceae) to investigate its population genetic structure and identify selection on floral design through male reproductive success.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 153 candidate microsatellite loci were isolated based on next-generation sequencing. We identified 18 polymorphic microsatellite loci in three populations ofS. stellata, with di- or trinucleotide repeats. Genotyping results showed the number of alleles per locus ranged from six to 45 and expected heterozygosity ranged from 0.511 to 0.951. Five of these loci were successfully amplified inS. virginicaandS. carolinianaand were also polymorphic.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The microsatellite markers reported here provide a valuable tool for paternity analysis inS. stellata. They will also be useful for investigating the population genetic structures ofS. stellataand related species.
authors.affiliation: Behavior, Ecology, Evolution and Systematics Graduate Program, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland 20742 USA; Department of Botany, National Museum of Natural History, MRC 166, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC 20013-7012 USA.
authors.forename: Juannan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.affiliation: Department of Natural Resource Management, South Dakota State University, Brookings, South Dakota 57007 USA.
authors.forename: Michele R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Dudash
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology and Microbiology, South Dakota State University, Brookings, South Dakota 57007 USA.
authors.forename: Charles B
authors.initials: CB
authors.lastname: Fenster
authors.affiliation: Department of Botany, National Museum of Natural History, MRC 166, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC 20013-7012 USA.
authors.forename: Elizabeth A
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Zimmer
keywords: Caryophyllaceae; Silene stellata; microsatellites; plant–animal interaction; polyploidy