DEVELOPMENT OF NUCLEAR SSRS FOR THE INSULAR SHRUB CLERODENDRUM IZUINSULARE (VERBENACEAE) AND THE WIDESPREAD C. TRICHOTOMUM

Premise of the study: Nuclear microsatellite primers were developed in the insular shrub Clerodendrum izuinsulare and the closely related widespread C. trichotomum to provide molecular tools to undertake a comparative study of the reproductive systems and genetic structures of the two Clerodendrum species. Methods and Results: Using an improved protocol for isolating codominant compound microsatellite markers, 19 primer sets were developed in C. izuinsulare and C. trichotomum. The primers amplified dinucleotide repeats with one to nine alleles per locus in C. izuinsulare and one to 15 alleles per locus in C. trichotomum. Tests of cross-amplification showed that four to 16 loci could be amplified using these markers in five other species of Clerodendrum that were studied. Conclusions: The microsatellite markers described here will be useful for comparative study of the reproductive systems and genetic structures of the narrow endemic C. izuinsulare and the widespread C. trichotomum.