Isolation and Characterization of Microsatellite Markers for Shorea platyclados (Dipterocarpaceae)

Premise of the study: Microsatellite markers were isolated and characterized in Shorea platyclados (Dipterocarpaceae) for DNA profiling and genetic diversity assessment of this tropical timber species. Methods and Results: Fifteen polymorphic microsatellite loci were developed and characterized in S. platyclados using a genomic library enriched for dinucleotide (CT) repeats. The primers amplified dinucleotide repeats with 3–14 alleles per locus across four natural populations. The observed and expected heterozygosities ranged from 0.292 to 1.000 and from 0.301 to 0.894, respectively. No significant deviation from Hardy–Weinberg equilibrium was detected in the 15 loci. Four loci pairs displayed linkage disequilibrium. Conclusions: These highly polymorphic markers are adequate for DNA profiling and studies of population genetics in S. platyclados.