Polymorphic mircosatellite loci in a plural breeder, the grey-capped social weaver (Pseudonigrita arnaudi), isolated with an improved enrichment protocol using fragment size-selection

We isolated polymorphic microsatellite loci (mean number of alleles = 12) from the grey-capped social weaver (Pseudonigrita arnaudi) genome. We designed an experiment to test whether the addition of a fragment size-selection step at either of two different stages in an enrichment protocol increased the average insert size in transformants. Fragment size-selection produced significantly larger average insert sizes among our positive (microsatellite-containing) transformants. Size-selection just before ligation to the cloning vector was most effective. Eighteen independently-assorting polymorphic loci were characterized. Some amplified in other ploceid weavers and related species. Collectively, the markers provide a mean exclusion probability of 0.9999 for parentage analysis, and will be a powerful tool for reconstructing extended family membership in this highly social bird.