CONSERVATION OF MICROSATELLITES AMONG TROPICAL TREES (LEGUMINOSAE)

Although microsatellites or simple sequence repeats (SSRs) have become a popular tool in genetic mapping and gene flow studies, their utilit y is limited due to paucity of information about DNA sequences in plan ts. We tested the utility of microsatellite markers characterized for the tropical tree Pithecellobium elegans as a genetic tool for related species. The results indicate that SSR loci are conserved among close ly related species, and SSR primers developed for P. elegans could be successfully used as a genetic tool in several species of the tribe In geae. This study indicates that there is high potential for the transf er of SSR markers among closely related taxa, circumventing laborious cloning and screening procedures involved in characterizing SSR loci f or many species.