DEVELOPMENT OF POLYMORPHIC MICROSATELLITE MARKERS FOR INDIAN TOBACCO, LOBELIA INFLATA (CAMPANULACEAE)

Premise of the study: Nuclear microsatellite markers were developed for Lobelia inflata (Campanulaceae), an obligately self-fertilizing plant species, for use in the study of temporal fluctuation in allele frequency and of the genetic structure within and among populations. Methods and Results: We developed 28 primer pairs for L. inflata, all of which amplify CT dinucleotide repeats. We evaluated amplification of these loci in 53 L. inflata individuals at three sites in eastern North America and found that 24 loci showed microsatellite polymorphism. We also found that 16 loci amplified successfully in L. cardinalis, and 11 amplified successfully in L. siphilitica. Conclusions: These primers will be useful for assessing allelic diversity within and among populations of L. inflata, and show potential for use in congeneric species.