Development Of SSR Markers Research Articles

The first insight into the Taxus genome via fosmid library construction and end sequencing

Taxus mairei is a critically endangered and commercially important cultured medicinal gymnosperm in China and forms an important medicinal resource, but the research of its genome is absent. In this study, we constructed a T. mairei fosmid library and analyzed the fosmid end sequences to provide a preliminary assessment of the genome. The library consists of one million clones with an average insert size of about 39 kb, amounting to 3.9 genome equivalents. Fosmid stability assays indicate that T. mairei DNA was stable during propagation in the fosmid system. End sequencing of both 5' and 3' ends of 968 individual clones generated 1,923 sequences after trimming, with an average sequence length of 839 bp. BLASTN searches of the nr and EST databases of GenBank and BLASTX searches of the nr database resulted in 560 (29.1%) significant hits (E < e(-5)). Repetitive sequences analysis revealed that 20.8% of end sequences are repetitive elements, which were composed of retroelements, DNA transposons, satellites, simple repeats, and low complexity sequences. The distribution pattern of various repeat types was found to be more similar to the gymnosperm Pinus and Picea than to the monocot and dicot. The satellites of T. mairei were significantly longer than those of P. taeda and P. glauca. The tetra-nucleotide repeats of T. mairei were much longer than those of P. glauca and P. taeda. The fosmid library and the fosmid end sequences, for the first time, will serve as a useful resource for large-scale genome sequencing, physical mapping, SSR marker development and positional cloning, and provide a better understanding of the Taxus genome.

Characterization and development of EST-derived SSR markers in cultivated sweetpotato (Ipomoea batatas)

BackgroundCurrently there exists a limited availability of genetic marker resources in sweetpotato (Ipomoea batatas), which is hindering genetic research in this species. It is necessary to develop more molecular markers for potential use in sweetpotato genetic research. With the newly developed next generation sequencing technology, large amount of transcribed sequences of sweetpotato have been generated and are available for identifying SSR markers by data mining.ResultsIn this study, we investigated 181,615 ESTs for the identification and development of SSR markers. In total, 8,294 SSRs were identified from 7,163 SSR-containing unique ESTs. On an average, one SSR was found per 7.1 kb of EST sequence with tri-nucleotide motifs (42.9%) being the most abundant followed by di- (41.2%), tetra- (9.2%), penta- (3.7%) and hexa-nucleotide (3.1%) repeat types. The top five motifs included AG/CT (26.9%), AAG/CTT (13.5%), AT/TA (10.6%), CCG/CGG (5.8%) and AAT/ATT (4.5%). After removing possible duplicate of published EST-SSRs of sweetpotato, a total of non-repeat 7,958 SSR motifs were identified. Based on these SSR-containing sequences, 1,060 pairs of high-quality SSR primers were designed and used for validation of the amplification and assessment of the polymorphism between two parents of one mapping population (E Shu 3 Hao and Guang 2k-30) and eight accessions of cultivated sweetpotatoes. The results showed that 816 primer pairs could yield reproducible and strong amplification products, of which 195 (23.9%) and 342 (41.9%) primer pairs exhibited polymorphism between E Shu 3 Hao and Guang 2k-30 and among the 8 cultivated sweetpotatoes, respectively.ConclusionThis study gives an insight into the frequency, type and distribution of sweetpotato EST-SSRs and demonstrates successful development of EST-SSR markers in cultivated sweetpotato. These EST-SSR markers could enrich the current resource of molecular markers for the sweetpotato community and would be useful for qualitative and quantitative trait mapping, marker-assisted selection, evolution and genetic diversity studies in cultivated sweetpotato and related Ipomoea species.

Development of EST-based new SSR markers in seabuckthorn.

EST-based SSR markers were developed by screening a collection of 1584 clustered ESTs of seabuckthorn (Hippophae rhamnoides). PCR primers were designed for the amplification of 30 microsatellite loci. Two to five allelic bands were displayed by nine primer pairs in H. rhamnoides genotypes and by eleven primer pairs in H. salicifolia genotypes. None of the thirty primer pairs detected polymorphism in H. tibetana genotypes. Considering the high polymorphism detected in the tested genotypes and their direct origin from the genic regions, these EST-SSR markers hold immense promise in seabuckthorn genome analysis, molecular breeding and population genetics.

Recombinant microsatellite amplification: a rapid method for developing simple sequence repeat markers

Recombinant microsatellite (simple sequence repeat; SSR) amplification is a technique by which DNA sequences flanking microsatellites can be isolated rapidly on a large scale. The approach selectively amplifies microsatellite-containing sequences and recombines the amplicons by redigestion and ligation, in order to increase the yield of microsatellite flanks per clone two-fold and to further increase selectivity of amplification. Since this method does not require prior knowledge of the genomic sequence, it is especially useful for species for which abundant genomic sequences are not available. The feasibility of this approach was demonstrated by developing SSR markers in cultivated oats.

QTL mapping for yield and lodging resistance in an enhanced SSR-based map for tef

Tef is a cereal crop of cultural and economic importance in Ethiopia. It is grown primarily for its grain though it is also an important source of fodder. Tef suffers from lodging that reduces both grain yield and quality. As a first step toward executing a marker-assisted breeding program for lodging resistance and grain yield improvement, a linkage map was constructed using 151 F(9) recombinant inbred lines obtained by single-seed-descent from a cross between Eragrostis tef and its wild relative Eragrostis pilosa. The map was primarily based on microsatellite (SSR) markers that were developed from SSR-enriched genomic libraries. The map consisted of 30 linkage groups and spanned a total length of 1,277.4 cM (78.7% of the genome) with an average distance of 5.7 cM between markers. This is the most saturated map for tef to date, and for the first time, all of the markers are PCR-based. Using agronomic data from 11 environments and marker data, it was possible to map quantitative trait loci (QTL) controlling lodging, grain yield and 15 other related traits. The positive effects of the QTL identified from the wild parent were mainly for earliness, reduced culm length and lodging resistance. In this population, it is now possible to combine lodging resistance and grain yield using a marker-assisted selection program targeting the QTL identified for both traits. The newly developed SSR markers will play a key role in germplasm organization, fingerprinting and monitoring the success of the hybridization process in intra-specific crosses lacking distinctive morphological markers.

Assessment of genetic diversity and population structure in mungbean

This study was carried out to assess the genetic diversity and to analyze the population genetic structure for a total of 692 mungbean accessions preserved at National Agrobiodiversity Center (NAC) of the Rural Development Administration (RDA), Korea. Mungbean accessions were collected from 27 countries in nine different geographic regions, and were genotyped using 15 microsatellite markers, which were developed in our previous study. A total of 66 alleles were detected among 692 accessions at all the loci with an average of 4.4 alleles per locus. All the microsatellite loci were found to be polymorphic. The expected heterozygosity (H E ) and polymorphism information content (PIC) ranged from 0.081 to 0.588 (mean = 0.345) and from 0.080 to 0.544 (mean = 0.295), respectively. Of the 66 alleles, 17 (25.8%) were common (frequency range between 0.05 and 0.5), 15 (22.7%) were abundant (frequency range > 0.5), and 34 (51.5%) were rare (frequency range < 0.05). Locus GB-VR-7 provided the highest number of rare alleles(eight), followed by GB-VR-91(six) and GB-VR-113(four). Country-wide comparative study on genetic diversity showed that accessions from the USA possessed the highest genetic diversity (PIC) followed by Nepal, Iran, and Afghanistan. And region-wide showed that accessions from Europe possessed the highest average genetic diversity, followed by accessions from the USA, South Asia, West Asia, and Oceania. Twenty-seven countries were grouped into seven clades by phylogenetic relationship analysis, but clustering pattern did not strictly follow their geographical origin because of extensive germplasm exchange between/among countries and regions. As a result of a model-based analysis (STRUCTURE) of microsatellite data, two distinct genetic groups were identified which shared more than 75% membership with one of the two genetic groups. However the genetic group pattern did not reflect their geographical origin. The Duncan’s Multiple Range Test among these two genetic groups and an admixed group, with a mean of 16 phenotypic traits, showed significant difference in 12 quantitative and qualitative traits on the basis of ANOVA. These 15 newly developed SSR markers proved to be useful as DNA markers to detect genetic variation in mungbean germplasm for reasonable management and crossbreeding purposes.

Development of unigene-derived SSR markers in cowpea (Vigna unguiculata) and their transferability to otherVignaspecies

Unigene sequences available in public databases provide a cost-effective and valuable source for the development of molecular markers. In this study, the identification and development of unigene-based SSR markers in cowpea (Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp.) is presented. A total of 1071 SSRs were identified in 15 740 cowpea unigene sequences downloaded from the National Center for Biotechnology Information. The most frequent SSR motifs present in the unigenes were trinucleotides (59.7%), followed by dinucleotides (34.8%), pentanucleotides (4%), and tetranucleotides (1.5%). The copy number varied from 6 to 33 for dinucleotide, 5 to 29 for trinucleotide, 5 to 7 for tetranucleotide, and 4 to 6 for pentanucleotide repeats. Primer pairs were successfully designed for 803 SSR motifs and 102 SSR markers were finally characterized and validated. Putative function was assigned to 64.7% of the unigene SSR markers based on significant homology to reported proteins. About 31.7% of the SSRs were present in coding sequences and 68.3% in untranslated regions of the genes. About 87% of the SSRs located in the coding sequences were trinucleotide repeats. Allelic variation at 32 SSR loci produced 98 alleles in 20 cowpea genotypes. The polymorphic information content for the SSR markers varied from 0.10 to 0.83 with an average of 0.53. These unigene SSR markers showed a high rate of transferability (88%) across other Vigna species, thereby expanding their utility. Alignment of unigene sequences with soybean genomic sequences revealed the presence of introns in amplified products of some of the SSR markers. This study presents the distribution of SSRs in the expressed portion of the cowpea genome and is the first report of the development of functional unigene-based SSR markers in cowpea. These SSR markers would play an important role in molecular mapping, comparative genomics, and marker-assisted selection strategies in cowpea and other Vigna species.

EST sequencing and SSR marker development from cultivated peanut ( Arachis hypogaea L.)

Making use of the gene resources of wild type peanuts is a way to increase the genetic diversity of the cultivars. Marker assisted selection (MAS) could shorten the process of inter-specific hybridization and provide a possible way to remove the undesirable traits. However, the limited number of molecular markers available in peanut retarded its MAS process. We started a peanut ESTs (Expressed Sequence Tags) project aiming at cloning genes with agronomic importance and developing molecular markers. In this study we found 610 ESTs that contained one or more SSRs from 12,000 peanut ESTs. The most abundant SSRs in peanut are trinucleotides (66.3%) SSRs and followed by dinucleotide (28.8%) SSRs. AG/TC (10.7%) repeat was the most abundant and followed by CT/GA (9.0%), CTT/GAA (7.4%), and AAG/TTC (7.3%) repeats. Ninety-four SSR containing ESTs were randomly selected for primer design and synthesis, of which 33 pairs could generate good amplification and were used for polymorphism assessment. Results showed that polymorphism was very low in cultivars, while high level of polymorphism was revealed in wild type peanuts.

Development and characterization of SSR markers for pomegranate (Punica granatum L.) using an enriched library

In the present work, we report the development of 11 microstallite markers (SSR) for Punica granatum. Evaluated on a set of 27 pomegranate accessions sampled in Tunisia, they displayed 25 alleles, with number of alleles per locus ranging between 1 and 4, and an observed heterozygosity from 0.037 and 0.592. This set of SSR markers can be very useful for studies dealing with genetic diversity assessment of germplasm, with cultivars/varieties fingerprinting and pedigree analysis of this economically important fruit species.

Utility of sequenced genomes for microsatellite marker development in non-model organisms: a case study of functionally important genes in nine-spined sticklebacks (Pungitius pungitius)

BackgroundIdentification of genes involved in adaptation and speciation by targeting specific genes of interest has become a plausible strategy also for non-model organisms. We investigated the potential utility of available sequenced fish genomes to develop microsatellite (cf. simple sequence repeat, SSR) markers for functionally important genes in nine-spined sticklebacks (Pungitius pungitius), as well as cross-species transferability of SSR primers from three-spined (Gasterosteus aculeatus) to nine-spined sticklebacks. In addition, we examined the patterns and degree of SSR conservation between these species using their aligned sequences.ResultsCross-species amplification success was lower for SSR markers located in or around functionally important genes (27 out of 158) than for those randomly derived from genomic (35 out of 101) and cDNA (35 out of 87) libraries. Polymorphism was observed at a large proportion (65%) of the cross-amplified loci independently of SSR type. To develop SSR markers for functionally important genes in nine-spined sticklebacks, SSR locations were surveyed in or around 67 target genes based on the three-spined stickleback genome and these regions were sequenced with primers designed from conserved sequences in sequenced fish genomes. Out of the 81 SSRs identified in the sequenced regions (44,084 bp), 57 exhibited the same motifs at the same locations as in the three-spined stickleback. Di- and trinucleotide SSRs appeared to be highly conserved whereas mononucleotide SSRs were less so. Species-specific primers were designed to amplify 58 SSRs using the sequences of nine-spined sticklebacks.ConclusionsOur results demonstrated that a large proportion of SSRs are conserved in the species that have diverged more than 10 million years ago. Therefore, the three-spined stickleback genome can be used to predict SSR locations in the nine-spined stickleback genome. While cross-species utility of SSR primers is limited due to low amplification success, SSR markers can be developed for target genes and genomic regions using our approach, which should be also applicable to other non-model organisms. The SSR markers developed in this study should be useful for identification of genes responsible for phenotypic variation and adaptive divergence of nine-spined stickleback populations, as well as for constructing comparative gene maps of nine-spined and three-spined sticklebacks.

Development and validation of SSR markers for Coffea arabica L.

With the objective of developing new SSR markers for Coffea arabica, two enriched genomic libraries with probes (GT)15 and (AGG)10 were constructed. A total of 835 clones were sequenced and 756 presented good quality sequences. Redundant sequences were observed for 113 clones (14.94%). SSRs were found in 287 clones (38%). An estimated size of 417.5Kb of the C. arabica genome was sampled, with an average of one SSR per 1.46Kb. Dinucleotide repeats were more frequent than trinucleotides. Four repeat sequences, (AG/CT)n, (AC/GT)n, (AAG/CTT)n, and (AGG/CCT)n represented 61.1% of the total observed. A total of 96 SSR primers were designed and tested by PCR for two C. arabica genotypes. Ninety new SSR markers were validated for further genetic studies of C. arabica.

Development of new SSR markers from EST of SSH cDNA libraries on rose fragrance

The new SSR markers of rose related fragrance were developed based on the SSH cDNA libraries of rose floral scent mutant. In this study, 10 EST-SSRs (2.6%) from 391 ESTs in the libraries were identified. Six EST-SSRs primers were designed to sequence flanking SSRs. The primer pairs designed were screened on the wild-type Jinyindao, which has flowers full of pleasant scent, and the mutant-type Wangriqinghuai without perceivable floral scent. Five primer pairs were amplified effectively in Jinyindao and Wangriqinghuai, and 3 were polymorphic between Jinyindao and Wangriqinghuai. Eighteen rose cultivars including fragrant roses and nonfragrant roses were identified by the five prime pairs. These results proved that EST-SSR markers are effective markers to identify the polymorphism of the rose.

Simple Sequence Repeat Polymorphisms (SSRPs) for Evaluation of Molecular Diversity and Germplasm Classification of Minor Crops

Evaluation of the genetic diversity among populations is an essential prerequisite for the preservation of endangered species. Thousands of new accessions are introduced into germplasm institutes each year, thereby necessitating assessment of their molecular diversity before elimination of the redundant genotypes. Of the protocols that facilitate the assessment of molecular diversity, SSRPs (simple sequence repeat polymorphisms) or microsatellite variation is the preferred system since it detects a large number of DNA polymorphisms with relatively simple technical complexity. The paucity of information on DNA sequences has limited their widespread utilization in the assessment of genetic diversity of minor or neglected crop species. However, recent advancements in DNA sequencing and PCR technologies in conjunction with sophisticated computer software have facilitated the development of SSRP markers in minor crops. This review examines the development and molecular nature of SSR markers, and their utilization in many aspects of plant genetics and ecology.

Development and Characterization of SSR Markers and Their Use to Assess Genetic Relationships among Alfalfa Germplasms

ABSTRACTSimple sequence repeat (SSR), or microsatellite markers, are codominant, abundant and hypervariable molecular markers from eukaryotic genomes that are being widely used in genetic mapping, phylogenetic studies, and marker‐assisted selection. Currently, the number of SSR markers available from alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) genomic libraries is limited. This study was conducted to identify additional SSR markers in the alfalfa genome and to evaluate their ability to separate the nine historically recognized progenitors of North American cultivated alfalfa (African, Chilean, Falcata, Flemish, Indian, Ladak, Peruvian, Turkistan, and Varia), as well as seven additional accessions of M. sativa ssp. sativa, falcata, and coerulea and the model legume M. truncatula Genomic DNA from the autotetraploid alfalfa germplasm W10 was used to develop 81 primer pairs, which amplified SSRs containing AC, AT, CT, CTT, GAT, and GGT motifs. The majority (96%) of the primer pairs were functional and 61 (78.2%) detected 2 to 11 polymorphic fragments among the accessions. A dendrogram was constructed using cluster analysis from these data, representing three main clusters: (i) diploid ssp. falcata; (ii) M. truncatula; and (iii) all remaining entries. Additional separation of some accessions [M. truncatula (‘Jemalong’), Ladak (‘Ladak’), Fall dormancy 11 (UC‐1465), Indian (Sirsa Type 9), Flemish (‘Dupuit’), Peruvian (‘Hairy Peruvian’), and African 2 (‘Moapa’)] was obtained through multiple correspondence analysis. These genomic alfalfa SSRs have excellent utility for polymorphic assessment with potential application for phylogenetic and genetic mapping studies of alfalfa.

Cross-genera legume SSR markers for analysis of genetic diversity in Lens species

With 1 figure and 1 table Abstract Transferability of microsatellite loci across species offers an opportunity, especially in Lens which suffers from lack of polymorphism and poor genome resources. Transferability of EST and genomic SSR markers from related taxa like Medicago truncatula (Mt), Pisum sativum (Ps) and Trifolium pratense (Tp), which are relatively well characterized genetically, was analyzed. The transferability of microsatellites as determined through successful amplification on six lentil accessions encompassing two subspecies was 36.0%, 62.0% and 25.0% for Mt, Tp and Ps-derived markers, respectively. A total of 22 Mt EST-SSRs produced 21.96% polymorphism, whereas, 98 BAC-SSRs produced marginally higher (24.14%) polymorphism. Twenty-two newly identified cross-species SSR markers and three lentil SSRs previously mapped on lentil genetic map, were used to infer the phylogenetic relationships among 40 accessions belonging to five Lens species (Lens culinaris ssp. culinaris, L. culinaris ssp. orientalis, L. culinaris ssp. odemensis, L. nigricans and L. ervoides). Total number of alleles detected across all microsatellite loci was 80, with a mean of 3.63 alleles per locus. UPGMA dendrogram divided them into six groups with wild subspecies L. nigricans and L. ervoides exhibiting maximum genetic distance, whereas high levels of intraspecific variation was observed among the accessions of L. orientalis, L. odemensis and L. nigricans. A close proximity (57.0%) between cultivated lentil and its supposedly wild progenitor L. culinaris ssp. orientalis was revealed. Our study has implications in large-scale development and identification of SSR markers from related genera which can be used for studying genetic diversity and construction of lentil genetic map and for tagging of various traits of agronomic importance for marker-assisted breeding.

Development and characterization of genic SSR markers in Medicago truncatula and their transferability in leguminous and non-leguminous species.

Expressed sequence tag (EST)-derived simple sequence repeat (eSSR) markers are important resources for gene discovery and comparative mapping aimed at crop improvement. In this study, we developed eSSR markers for Medicago truncatula and assessed their cross-species transferability. We detected 36,847 non-redundant sequences ("unigenes") from 198,642 M. truncatula EST sequences. Mining of microsatellites from the 36,847 unigene sequences (representing approximately 25.8 Mb) revealed 14,637 eSSRs in 11,750 SSR-containing ESTs, and primer pairs were successfully designed for 4,636 (39.5%). Of the 14 637 eSSRs, 82.6% were mononucleotide repeats and the rest (in descending order of abundance) were tri-, di-, penta-, and tetranucleotide repeats. When less stringent SSR detection criteria were used, the frequency of dinucleotide repeat motifs increased more than twofold, and the frequencies of di- (11%) and trinucleotide motifs (10.6%) were almost equal. This demonstrates that the eSSR frequency and distribution were related to the choice of search criteria. Forty-one randomly selected primer pairs were validated, and their transferability in three leguminous and three non-leguminous species was assessed. The markers showed a high level of transferability in the leguminous (53%-71%) and non-leguminous (33%-44%) species. The validation studies thus demonstrate the utility of the Medicago eSSRs in assessing genomic relationships in both leguminous and non-leguminous species.

Development of SSR markers for studies of diversity in the genus Fagopyrum

The numbers of SSR markers and their utilization have not been determined and investigated as extensively in Fagopyrum species as compared to other crop species. The current report presents 136 new SSR markers in Fagopyrum esculentum ssp. esculentum and their application to related species in the genus Fagopyrum. Of the 136 SSRs, 10 polymorphic SSR markers were utilized in a genetic diversity analysis of a common buckwheat population consisting of 41 accessions of diverse origin. The study showed observed (H(O)) and expected (H(E)) heterozygosities ranging from 0.071 to 0.924 (mean = 0.53) and from 0.073 to 0.902 (mean = 0.412), respectively. Forty-one of the 136 SSRs amplified sequences in other Fagopyrum species, including the cymosum and urophyllum groups. The phylogenetic relationships revealed using the SSRs was consistent with results obtained using other marker systems, with one exception. The sequence and diversity information obtained using these new SSRs and their cross-transferability to related Fagopyrum species will increase our understanding of genetic structures and species relationships within the Fagopyrum genus.

Development and genetic mapping of SSR markers in foxtail millet [Setaria italica (L.) P. Beauv.

SSR markers are desirable markers in analysis of genetic diversity, quantitative trait loci mapping and gene locating. In this study, SSR markers were developed from two genomic libraries enriched for (GA)n and (CA)n of foxtail millet [Setaria italica (L.) P. Beauv.], a crop of historical importance in China. A total of 100 SSR markers among the 193 primer pairs detected polymorphism between two mapping parents of an F(2) population, i.e. "B100" of cultivated S. italica and "A10" of wild S. viridis. Excluding 14 markers with unclear amplifications, and five markers unlinked with any linkage group, a foxtail millet SSR linkage map was constructed by integrating 81 new developed SSR markers with 20 RFLP anchored markers. The 81 SSRs covered nine chromosomes of foxtail millet. The length of the map was 1,654 cM, with an average interval distance between markers of 16.4 cM. The 81 SSR markers were not evenly distributed throughout the nine chromosomes, with Ch.8 harbouring the least (3 markers) and Ch.9 harbouring the most (18 markers). To verify the usefulness of the SSR markers developed, 37 SSR markers were randomly chosen to analyze genetic diversity of 40 foxtail millet accessions. Totally 228 alleles were detected, with an average 6.16 alleles per locus. Polymorphism information content (PIC) value for each locus ranged from 0.413 to 0.847, with an average of 0.697. A positive correlation between PIC and number of alleles and between PIC and number of repeat unit were found [0.802 and 0.429, respectively (P < 0.01)]. UPGMA analysis revealed that the 40 foxtail millet cultivars could be grouped into five clusters in which the landraces' grouping was largely consistent with ecotypes while the breeding varieties from different provinces in China tended to be grouped together.

Analysis of Gene Expression Profiles in Leaf Tissues of Cultivated Peanuts and Development of EST-SSR Markers and Gene Discovery.

Peanut is vulnerable to a range of foliar diseases such as spotted wilt caused by Tomato spotted wilt virus (TSWV), early (Cercospora arachidicola) and late (Cercosporidium personatum) leaf spots, southern stem rot (Sclerotium rolfsii), and sclerotinia blight (Sclerotinia minor). In this study, we report the generation of 17,376 peanut expressed sequence tags (ESTs) from leaf tissues of a peanut cultivar (Tifrunner, resistant to TSWV and leaf spots) and a breeding line (GT-C20, susceptible to TSWV and leaf spots). After trimming vector and discarding low quality sequences, a total of 14,432 high-quality ESTs were selected for further analysis and deposition to GenBank. Sequence clustering resulted in 6,888 unique ESTs composed of 1,703 tentative consensus (TCs) sequences and 5185 singletons. A large number of ESTs (5717) representing genes of unknown functions were also identified. Among the unique sequences, there were 856 EST-SSRs identified. A total of 290 new EST-based SSR markers were developed and examined for amplification and polymorphism in cultivated peanut and wild species. Resequencing information of selected amplified alleles revealed that allelic diversity could be attributed mainly to differences in repeat type and length in the SSR regions. In addition, a few additional INDEL mutations and substitutions were observed in the regions flanking the microsatellite regions. In addition, some defense-related transcripts were also identified, such as putative oxalate oxidase (EU024476) and NBS-LRR domains. EST data in this study have provided a new source of information for gene discovery and development of SSR markers in cultivated peanut. A total of 16931 ESTs have been deposited to the NCBI GenBank database with accession numbers ES751523 to ES768453.

Utility of EST-derived SSR in cultivated peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.) and Arachis wild species.

BackgroundLack of sufficient molecular markers hinders current genetic research in peanuts (Arachis hypogaea L.). It is necessary to develop more molecular markers for potential use in peanut genetic research. With the development of peanut EST projects, a vast amount of available EST sequence data has been generated. These data offered an opportunity to identify SSR in ESTs by data mining.ResultsIn this study, we investigated 24,238 ESTs for the identification and development of SSR markers. In total, 881 SSRs were identified from 780 SSR-containing unique ESTs. On an average, one SSR was found per 7.3 kb of EST sequence with tri-nucleotide motifs (63.9%) being the most abundant followed by di- (32.7%), tetra- (1.7%), hexa- (1.0%) and penta-nucleotide (0.7%) repeat types. The top six motifs included AG/TC (27.7%), AAG/TTC (17.4%), AAT/TTA (11.9%), ACC/TGG (7.72%), ACT/TGA (7.26%) and AT/TA (6.3%). Based on the 780 SSR-containing ESTs, a total of 290 primer pairs were successfully designed and used for validation of the amplification and assessment of the polymorphism among 22 genotypes of cultivated peanuts and 16 accessions of wild species. The results showed that 251 primer pairs yielded amplification products, of which 26 and 221 primer pairs exhibited polymorphism among the cultivated and wild species examined, respectively. Two to four alleles were found in cultivated peanuts, while 3–8 alleles presented in wild species. The apparent broad polymorphism was further confirmed by cloning and sequencing of amplified alleles. Sequence analysis of selected amplified alleles revealed that allelic diversity could be attributed mainly to differences in repeat type and length in the microsatellite regions. In addition, a few single base mutations were observed in the microsatellite flanking regions.ConclusionThis study gives an insight into the frequency, type and distribution of peanut EST-SSRs and demonstrates successful development of EST-SSR markers in cultivated peanut. These EST-SSR markers could enrich the current resource of molecular markers for the peanut community and would be useful for qualitative and quantitative trait mapping, marker-assisted selection, and genetic diversity studies in cultivated peanut as well as related Arachis species. All of the 251 working primer pairs with names, motifs, repeat types, primer sequences, and alleles tested in cultivated and wild species are listed in Additional File 1.