First microsatellite data on Proteus anguinus reveal weak genetic structure between the caves of Postojna and Planina

The European cave salamander, Proteus anguinus, or proteus, is the largest obligate cave animal in the world. It is an endangered and charismatic species of high conservation importance for subterranean waters. Conservation genetic studies are hampered by the extreme size and repetitiveness of its nuclear genome. The aim of the study was to develop and characterize the first microsatellite markers for proteus, and test their informativeness at the level of individuals, populations and between populations in the Postojna and Planina caves in Slovenia. Twenty-three novel polymorphic microsatellite markers were amplified in 201 individuals from both caves using three multiplex reactions. The number of alleles per locus varied from three to nine. The loci are largely unlinked and conform to Hardy–Weinberg genotype frequencies. Genetic equilibrium and an FST value of 0.0024 suggest a nearly panmictic population in both caves separated by some 10 km of subterranean river course, while Bayesian clustering detected weak genetic structure. The microsatellites described fill the gap of urgently needed nuclear markers in Proteus that can be applied in genetic mark–recapture studies, population monitoring and identification of management units to assist conservation efforts.