A new set of microsatellite primers for Coelogyne fimbriata (Orchidaceae) and cross-amplification in C. ovalis(1)

PREMISE OF THE STUDY: Declining orchid populations have made it necessary to prioritize the study of population structure and genetic diversity for species including Coelogyne fimbriata (Orchidaceae). METHODS AND RESULTS: A biotin-streptavidin capture method was used to construct a microsatellite library for C. fimbriata. A total of 15 polymorphic nuclear microsatellite loci were isolated and characterized using 47 C. fimbriata individuals from two natural populations in China. The number of alleles per locus for the two populations ranged from two to 17. The observed and expected heterozygosities ranged from 0.000 to 1.000 and from 0.000 to 0.867, respectively. Among these polymorphic primers, 11 loci were also successfully amplified in C. ovalis, and 10 loci showed moderate to high-level polymorphism. Cross-amplification of the 15 polymorphic loci was tested in five related species: C. cumingii, C. eberhardtii, C. mayeriana, C. peltastes, and C. velutina. CONCLUSIONS: Fifteen microsatellites in C. fimbriata and 10 in C. ovalis have moderate to high-level genetic variation, indicating their utility in population genetic studies, thus contributing to orchid conservation.