Premise of the study: Microsatellite primers were developed in the functionally dioecious Ficus pumila L. to provide polymorphic markers for further population genetic studies and parentage analysis.
Methods and results: Eleven polymorphic microsatellite loci were developed in F. pumila. These loci were successfully amplified in four F. pumila populations from eastern China (Fodu, Xiangshan, Xianju, and Hexi). These loci had 3-11 alleles across all 80 F. pumila individuals. At the population level, the number of alleles per locus varied from 1 to 8, and the observed (H(O)) and expected (H(E)) heterozygosities ranged from 0.000 to 0.900 and from 0.000 to 0.830, respectively. Linkage disequilibrium between loci FP213 and FP435 was found in three of the four tested populations.
Conclusions: These loci showed high levels of polymorphism, indicating the utility of these primers in population genetic studies as well as parentage analysis of F. pumila.