Microsatellite loci in Vallisneria natans (Hydrocharitaceae) and cross-reactivity with V. spinulosa and V. denseserrulata.

Premise of the study: Microsatellite primers were characterized in Vallisneria natans, a dominant submerged macrophyte occurring in freshwater bodies of tropical and subtropical zones. Methods and Results: Using the Microsatellite Sequence Enrichment protocol, 16 novel polymorphic codominant loci were developed and characterized in V. natans. In addition to these, six existing microsatellite loci from V. spinulosa were successfully amplified and characterized for V. natans. These primers amplified di- and trinucleotide repeats with 2-7 alleles per locus. Most primers also amplified successfully in V. spinulosa and V. denseserrulata. Conclusions: These results indicate the utility of primers in V. natans for future studies of population genetic structure, as well as their applicability across the genus.