Polymorphic microsatellite markers in Anthoxanthum (Poaceae) and cross-amplification in the Eurasian complex of the genus(1)

PREMISE OF THE STUDY: Nonplastid microsatellite primers were developed for the first time in the Euro-Siberian complex of Anthoxanthum (Poaceae), a genus of temperate grasses in which reticulate evolution is common. METHODS AND RESULTS: A microsatellite-enriched genomic DNA library allowed the detection of 500 fragments containing a microsatellite motif. Fifteen primer pairs were selected for an extended primer test. A preliminary analysis was conducted on the Eurasian diploid lineages of Anthoxanthum, with special emphasis on three populations of the Mediterranean A. aristatum–A. ovatum complex. Thirteen out of 15 markers tested were polymorphic in the complex, with successful cross-amplification in A. odoratum (93% polymorphic loci), A. amarum (73% polymorphic), A. alpinum (73% polymorphic), and A. maderense (60% polymorphic). CONCLUSIONS: These microsatellite markers will enable the analysis of evolution and phylogeography in diploid and polyploid lineages of this important genus.