Microsatellite Development via Next-Generation Sequencing in Acacia stenophylla (Fabaceae) and Duma florulenta (Polygonaceae): Two Ecologically Important Plant Species of Australian Dryland Floodplains

Abstract

Duma florulenta and Acacia stenophylla are two ecologically important but understudied species that naturally occur on the floodplains and riverbanks of Australia’s arid and semi-arid river systems. This paper describes the discovery and characterization of 12 and 13 polymorphic microsatellite markers for D. florulenta and A. stenophylla respectively. The number of alleles per locus for D. florulenta ranged from 2-12 with an average of 6.1. Across all samples, observed and expected heterozygosities ranged from 0.026 to 0.784 and 0.026 to 0.824 respectively and mean polymorphic information content was equal to 0.453. For A. stenophylla, the number of alleles per locus ranged between 2 and 8 with an overall mean of 4.8. Across all samples, observed and expected heterozygosities ranged from 0.029 to 0.650 and 0.029 to 0.761 respectively and mean polymorphic information content was 0.388. The developed suites of 12 and 13 microsatellite markers for D. florulenta and A. stenophylla respectively provide opportunity for novel research into mechanisms of gene flow, dispersal and breeding system and how they operate under the extreme variability these species are exposed to in the environments in which they live.