MICROSATELLITE PRIMERS IN THE WHITE PROTEAS (PROTEA SECTION EXSERTAE, PROTEACEAE), A RAPIDLY RADIATING LINEAGE

Premise of the study: Microsatellite primers were developed in the South African sclerophyllous shrub Protea punctata to investigate the degree of population differentiation within and between P. punctata and closely related species. Methods and Results: 10 primer pairs were identified from three individuals of Protea punctata. The primers amplified di-and tri-nucleotide repeats. Across all P. punctata samples, the loci have 8-49 alleles. All primers also amplified in Protea section Exsertae (P. aurea, P. aurea subsp. potbergensis, P. mundii, P. venusta, P. lacticolor, and P. subvestita). The loci had 14-69 alleles across the subgenus. Conclusions: These results show the broad utility of microsatellite loci for future studies of population genetics in the white proteas and their potential utility across the entire genus.