MICROSATELLITE PRIMERS IN THE PLANKTONIC DIATOM PSEUDO-NITZSCHIA MULTISTRIATA (BACILLARIOPHYCEAE)

Premise of the study: Seven microsatellite loci were characterized for the toxic diatom Pseudo-nitzschia multistriata Takano (Takano) to investigate intraspecific variability and estimate population genetic structure over blooms, seasons, and sexual and vegetative reproduction. Methods and Results: Selected microsatellites consisted of di- and trinucleotide repeats in the core region, and showed four to twelve alleles per locus in strains of P. multistriata collected in the Gulf of Naples (Italy). Primer pairs were species-specific since they positively amplified against conspecific strains from Portugal and Spain but failed to generate PCR products from the diatoms Pseudo-nitzschia pseudodelicatissima (Hasle) Hasle and Leptocylindrus minimum Gran. Conclusions: The seven selected microsatellite markers will be useful in studying population dynamics of Pseudo-nitzschia multistriata in space and time.