ARS | Publication request: Developing Clade-Specific Microsatellite Markers: A Case Study in the Filamentous Fungal Genus Aspergillus

Submitted to: Molecular Ecology Resources
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: October 31, 2009
Publication Date: N/A

Interpretive Summary: Microsatellites are short units of DNA that are abundant in genomes of higher organisms. They are extremely variable, so are useful in molecular ecology studies involving closely related species or closely related populations of the same species. In this study, a method was developed which will identify closely related species using short pieces of DNA (primer pairs) on several groups of economically important Aspergillus species including Aspergillus flavus which produces potent toxins and Aspergillus fumigatus which is a human pathogen. The results will be useful for medical personnel, agricultural researchers and regulatory personnel as well as molecular geneticists.

Technical Abstract: Microsatellite markers are highly variable and very commonly used in population genetics studies. However, microsatellite loci are typically poorly conserved and cannot be used in distant related species. Thus, development of clade-specific microsatellite markers would increase efficiency and allow investigation of the same questions in multiple lineages using the same marker set. Here we describe a protocol for the development of clade-specific microsatellite markers from species with full genomes. Application of this protocol to the filamentous fungal genus Aspergillus resulted in the generation of 9 and 11 variable microsatellite markers from two phylogenetically distinct clades, respectively.