Development of microsatellite markers for Viscum coloratum (Santalaceae) and their application to wild populations.

PREMISE OF THE STUDY: Microsatellite primers were developed for Viscum coloratum (Santalaceae), a semiparasitic medicinal plant that is known for its anticancer properties. Due to excessive human harvesting and loss of suitable habitat of its populations, it has become a potentially threatened species requiring immediate conservation efforts. METHODS AND RESULTS: Based on transcriptome data for V. coloratum, 124 primer pairs were randomly selected for initial validation, of which 19 yielded polymorphic microsatellite loci, with two to six alleles per locus. The usefulness of these markers was assessed for 60 individuals representing three populations of V. coloratum. Observed and expected heterozygosity values ranged from 0.033 to 0.833 and 0.032 to 0.672, respectively. Cross-species amplification for 19 loci in the related species V. album was conducted. CONCLUSIONS: The 19 newly developed loci are expected to be useful for studying the population genetics and ecological conservation of V. coloratum.