Microsatellite loci discovery from next-generation sequencing data and loci characterization in the epizoic barnacle Chelonibia testudinaria (Linnaeus, 1758)

Christine Ewers-Saucedo; John D Zardus; John P Wares

doi:10.7717/peerj.2019

Microsatellite loci discovery from next-generation sequencing data and loci characterization in the epizoic barnacle Chelonibia testudinaria (Linnaeus, 1758)

PeerJ. 2016 May 17:4:e2019. doi: 10.7717/peerj.2019. eCollection 2016.

Authors

Christine Ewers-Saucedo¹, John D Zardus², John P Wares³

Affiliations

¹ Evolution and Ecology, University of California, Davis, CA, United States; Department of Genetics, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, United States.
² Department of Biology, The Citadel , Charleston, SC , United States.
³ Department of Genetics, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, United States; Odum School of Ecology, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, United States.

Abstract

Microsatellite markers remain an important tool for ecological and evolutionary research, but are unavailable for many non-model organisms. One such organism with rare ecological and evolutionary features is the epizoic barnacle Chelonibia testudinaria (Linnaeus, 1758). Chelonibia testudinaria appears to be a host generalist, and has an unusual sexual system, androdioecy. Genetic studies on host specificity and mating behavior are impeded by the lack of fine-scale, highly variable markers, such as microsatellite markers. In the present study, we discovered thousands of new microsatellite loci from next-generation sequencing data, and characterized 12 loci thoroughly. We conclude that 11 of these loci will be useful markers in future ecological and evolutionary studies on C. testudinaria.

Keywords: HWE; Homozygote excess; MiSeq; Microsatellite markers; Null alleles; PALFinder; R environment.

Grants and funding

We received funding from the National Science Foundation (NSF-OCE No. 1029526) and the University of Georgia Department of Genetics Hightower Award. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.