Primers for low-copy nuclear genes in the Hawaiian endemic Clermontia (Campanulaceae) and cross-amplification in Lobelioideae(1)

• Premise of the study: Primers were developed to amplify 12 intron-less, low-copy nuclear genes in the Hawaiian genus Clermontia (Campanulaceae), a suspected tetraploid. • Methods and Results: Data from a pooled 454 titanium run of the partial transcriptomes of seven Clermontia species were used to identify the loci of interest. Most loci were amplified and sequenced directly with success in a representative selection of lobeliads even though several of these loci turned out to be duplicated. Levels of variation were comparable to those observed in commonly used plastid and ribosomal markers. • Conclusions: We found evidence of a genome duplication that likely predates the diversification of the Hawaiian lobeliads. Some genes nevertheless appear to be single-copy and should be useful for phylogenetic studies of Clermontia or the entire Lobelioideae subfamily.