The development of RAPD and microsatellite markers in lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta var. latifolia)

Two types of polymorphic DNA markers suitable for genome analyses, populati on genetic and ecological studies on lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta var. la tifolia) have been developed. We detected 52 decameric oligonucleotides, wi thin a set of 200, that could be used to amplify the pine DNA. From these, 4 that allowed unambiguous amplification of 10 random polymorphic (RAPD) lo ci, have been chosen for use in this species. Five polymorphic microsatelli te loci were found following the screening of a genomic library and all con tained the AG, motif. Such loci were present at a frequency of 1 in every 3 45 kb pairs of genomic DNA. Three loci were comprised of a simple dinucleot ide repeat, one locus was of the form TA(n) - GA(m) and one was AT(n) - AG( m). The number of alleles at the 5 microsatellite loci ranged from 3 to 8 i n a sample of 6 trees from the eastern foothills of the Rocky Mountains in Alberta and the alleles at all loci exhibited Mendelian segregation.