Bryophyte-specific primers for retrieving plastid genes suitable for phylogenetic inference

PREMISE OF THE STUDY: We present here new bryophyte-specific primers that permit retrieval of 17 slowly evolving plastid genes and their associated introns and intergenic spacers. These regions were chosen to facilitate accurate phylogenetic inference across a broad range of mosses and other bryophytes. METHODS AND RESULTS: We developed 78 new primers for the targeted regions using an initial sampling of exemplar bryophytes and other green plants, to complement those used in vascular plants. We assessed the ability of the new primers to amplify and sequence these regions using a test set of 11 additional exemplar bryophytes. CONCLUSIONS: We show that the newly designed primers facilitate ready retrieval of 14 of 17 targeted regions from a broad range of bryophyte taxa. These primers should prove useful for future studies of bryophyte phylogeny.