CHARACTERIZATION OF 12 MICROSATELLITE LOCI FOR HYPOCHAERIS CHILLENSIS (ASTERACEAE) AND CROSS-AMPLIFICATION IN RELATED SPECIES.

• Premise of the study: Hypochaeris is considered a biological model to understand evolutionary processes in the vascular flora of South America, particularly from the temperate portion of the continent. We report the development and characterization of microsatellite markers for H. chillensis to assess the genetic variability and patterns of population structure of the species. • Methods and Results: Twelve microsatellite primers were isolated using a CT- and GT-enriched genomic library. PCR amplification detected one to five alleles, with 2.91 alleles per locus on average. Tested for cross-amplification, all primer pairs were successfully amplified in 10 South American species and in the putative ancestor of the group, H. angustifolia. • Conclusions: The microsatellites can be used to assess genetic diversity and population structure of H. chillensis. Application in other species will focus on the elucidation of adaptive radiation of the genus in South America. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]