ABSTRACT
PREMISE OF THE STUDY: Microsatellite primers were developed in Aureliana fasciculata var. fasciculata, a shrub that inhabits the Atlantic Rainforest, to investigate the intraspecific genetic structure of the species. METHODS AND RESULTS: Nine pairs of microsatellite primers were designed that were based on a simple sequence repeat (SSR)-enriched library. Seven loci were amplified successfully. Two populations of A. fasciculata var. fasciculata were genotyped and all loci were polymorphic, with two to five alleles per locus per population detected. Cross-species amplification was achieved in other members of the genus and members of the sister genus Athenaea. CONCLUSIONS: The development of these microsatellite markers will contribute to future population genetic studies in A. fasciculata var. fasciculata. Cross-amplification among other species in the genus and in the sister genus Athenaea might be a useful tool to establish patterns of genetic variability within the Atlantic Rainforest.
