Isolation and characterization of microsatellite DNA in the piracema fish Prochilodus lineatus (Characiformes).

We described five novel microsatellite loci for the piracema fish species Prochilodus lineatus (Characiformes), endemic to South America and of extreme importance to both commercial and artisanal fisheries across its occurrence area. A primary, unenriched genomic library was constructed and radioactively screened for repetitive motifs. Positive clones were automatically sequenced and based on the design of new primers, polymerase chain reaction assays were carried out to determine optimum reaction and electrophoretic conditions for each characterized locus. We evaluated its usefulness in population genetic studies by determining Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium, FIS and a jackknife estimate of the number of alleles for a sample of fish caught below the Funil Hydroelectric Power Plant dam (N = 95), Grande River, Brazil. The number of alleles varied from 3 to 21 and expected heterozygosities ranged from 0.58 to 0.91. Two of five loci were in Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium. Jackknife estimates of the number of alleles were higher than the observed number of alleles for three loci and could provide a measure of sampling bias. These markers should provide important tools for the determination of genetic structure, stock delimitation and reservoir fish management in the Grande River as well as to improve hatchery practices for environmental mitigation measures and to help sustain fisheries in the river.