Isolation and characterization of EST-SSR markers in Schima mertensiana (Theaceae) using pyrosequencing technology.

Premise of the Study: Microsatellite or simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers from expressed sequence tags (ESTs) in Schima mertensiana, an evergreen tree that is endemic to the Bonin Islands, were developed to facilitate evaluation of the species's population genetic structure.
Methods and Results: Using 149831 ESTs derived by pyrosequencing S. mertensiana complementary DNA (cDNA), 683 EST-SSRs were developed, 48 of which were tested for amplification. Thirty of the 48 showed clear amplification and detected polymorphism in sampled populations, with mean expected heterozygosity at the amplified loci ranging from 0.045 to 0.874 (average 0.545).
Conclusions: The markers developed in this study can be used for future studies of the genetic structure of S. mertensiana and related species.