Microsatellite development for the endangered Yangtze sturgeon (Acipenser dabryanus Dumeril, 1869) using 454 sequencing

The Yangtze sturgeon (Acipenser dabryanus) is an endemic species in China. Using 454 sequencing, eight polymorphic tri-, tetra-, penta-, and hexanucleotide microsatellite loci were isolated in this study. The raw sequence data from a one-eighth run of 454 sequencings were 38.0Mbp containing 94222 reads/sequences. Of 80 microsatellite loci, only eight loci were polymorphic in a population of 30 individuals. The number of alleles per locus ranged from 4 to 14 (mean 7.62), and the observed heterozygosities varied between 0.46 and 0.88 (mean 0.74). Cross amplification was tested in congeneric species Acipenser sturio and Acipenser sinensis. These new microsatellite markers will be useful for further studies on genetic variation, parentage analysis, and conservation management for this critically endangered species.