PREMISE OF THE STUDY: Microsatellite markers were developed for a traditional fragrant flowering tree of China, Osmanthus fragrans, to investigate the genetic diversity of its wild populations and to facilitate the classification and identification of O. fragrans cultivars. METHODS AND RESULTS: Using the fast isolation by AFLP of sequences containing repeats (FIASCO) protocol, 29 primer sets were identified in two wild populations. All primer pairs displayed polymorphism. The number of alleles per locus ranged from two to eight, with a mean of 3.9. The expected and observed heterozygosities ranged from 0.125 to 0.932 and from 0.083 to 0.917, respectively. The transferability of the 29 primer pairs was tested on O. serrulatus, O. delavayi, and O. yunnanensis (three individuals for each species). Eighteen (62.1%), 16 (55.2%), and 21 (72.4%) of them were successfully amplified in O. serrulatus, O. delavayi, and O. yunnanensis, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: These markers will facilitate further studies on the population genetics of O. fragrans and the classification and identification of O. fragrans cultivars.
PREMISE OF THE STUDY: Microsatellite markers were developed for a traditional fragrant flowering tree of China, Osmanthus fragrans, to investigate the genetic diversity of its wild populations and to facilitate the classification and identification of O. fragrans cultivars. METHODS AND RESULTS: Using the fast isolation by AFLP of sequences containing repeats (FIASCO) protocol, 29 primer sets were identified in two wild populations. All primer pairs displayed polymorphism. The number of alleles per locus ranged from two to eight, with a mean of 3.9. The expected and observed heterozygosities ranged from 0.125 to 0.932 and from 0.083 to 0.917, respectively. The transferability of the 29 primer pairs was tested on O. serrulatus, O. delavayi, and O. yunnanensis (three individuals for each species). Eighteen (62.1%), 16 (55.2%), and 21 (72.4%) of them were successfully amplified in O. serrulatus, O. delavayi, and O. yunnanensis, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: These markers will facilitate further studies on the population genetics of O. fragrans and the classification and identification of O. fragrans cultivars.