Development and Characterization of 10 Microsatellite Markers in Sagina nodosa (Caryophyllaceae)

Premise of the study: We developed 10 novel microsatellite loci for Sagina nodosa, a diploid perennial arctic-alpine herb. To our knowledge, these are the first microsatellite loci for a Sagina species. Methods and Results: We performed a low-coverage 454 next-generation sequencing of enriched genomic fragments derived from one individual to generate a massive library of contigs containing potential polymorphic microsatellites. We present data for 10 novel polymorphic microsatellite loci containing di-, tri-, tetra-, and hexanucleotide repeats with two to nine alleles per locus assessed in 29 individuals. Conclusions: These polymorphic microsatellite loci in S. nodosa will provide insights on the population structure and life history of S. nodosa in Isle Royale and other North American populations.