I SOLATION, CHARACTERIZATION, AND CROSS-AMPLIFICATION OF MICROSATELLITE MARKERS FOR THE P ETUNIA INTEGRIFOLIA (SOLANACEAE) COMPLEX 1

 Premise of the study : Microsatellite markers were developed for Petunia integrifolia subsp. depauperata with an intent to clarify taxonomic questions on the P. integrifolia complex, and to identify a purple-fl owered parent of P. hybrida .  Methods and Results : We characterized 11 microsatellite loci by screening primers developed using an SSR-enriched library. Genotyping of two populations resulted in eight polymorphic loci. Cross-species transferability was tested for other members of the P. integrifolia complex.  Conclusions : The development of these markers may contribute to population genetics studies in Petunia , and cross-amplifi cation among related species could be a useful tool for research on hybridization and introgression.