Premise of the study: We have developed and optimized microsatellite loci from a genomic library of Erysimum mediohispanicum. Microsatellites were also tested for cross-amplification in 31 other Erysimum species.
Methods and results: A total of 10 microsatellite loci were successfully amplified. They were polymorphic for 81 E. mediohispanicum individuals from two locations in Sierra Nevada (southeastern Spain), which showed similar patterns of genetic diversity. On average, microsatellites had 8.6 alleles per locus and an expected heterozygosity of 0.69. Only one locus significantly departed from Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium in both locations. Most of the markers successfully amplified in other Erysimum species.
Conclusions: The genetic attributes of microsatellite loci will allow their application to population genetic studies in Erysimum, such as genetic differentiation and structure, gene flow, pollinator-mediated speciation, and hybridization studies.