ISOLATION AND CHARACTERIZATION OF 50 NUCLEAR MICROSATELLITE MARKERS FOR CATHAYA ARGYROPHYLLA, A CHINESE ENDEMIC CONIFER

Premise of the study: Microsatellite primers were developed for the endangered Cathaya argyrophylla (Pinaceae) to investigate its genetic diversity and population genetic structure, as well as its evolutionary history. Methods and Results: Fifty dinucleotide microsatellite loci were identified in two populations. The number of alleles per locus ranged from 1 to 6, with a mean of 2.84. The observed and expected heterozygosities ranged from 0 to 0.889 and from 0 to 0.779, respectively. Conclusions: These markers will facilitate further studies on the population genetics and evolutionary history of Cathaya argyrophylla.