ISOLATION AND CHARACTERIZATION OF MICROSATELLITE LOCI FROM RED-SEA BREAM PAGRUS-MAJOR AND DETECTION IN CLOSELY-RELATED SPECIES

Five (GT./CA)(n) microsatellite loci were isolated from a size-selecte d genomic library of red sea bream (Paqrus major). Primers for PCR amp lification were constructed for the microsatellite loci and the loci c haracterized by screening polymorphisms in three wild populations of t he red sea bream. All loci displayed a high degree of length polymorph ism, as observed in the total number of alleles per locus (16-32), and a high degree of heterozygosity ranging from 0.675-0.907. Distinct di fferences were observed among three wild populations of red sea bream collected from coastal waters of Japan, both in the average number of alleles per locus and the frequency distributions of the alleles. The primers developed for red sea bream were also tested for their ability to amplify homologous sequences from 5 closely related species of Spa ridae. These microsatellite loci show great potential as indicators fo r genetic variability and divergence among subpopulations of Pagrus ma jor, and to a lesser degree with some of the related species tested.