Generation and characterization of 24 novel EST derived microsatellites from tea plant (Camellia sinensis) and cross-species amplification in its closely related species and varieties

A total of 31 expressed sequence tag (EST)derived polymorphic microsatellites from tea plant, Camellia sinensis (L.) O. Kuntze, were generated and characterized using the ESTs of the author's EST sequencing project and other sources. A set of 40 accessions tea germplasms had been used to examine the diversity. Among the 31 microsatellite loci, 24 had two to eight polymorphic alleles. Observed heterozygosity (H,,) were relatively higher (on an average of 0.533), varying from 0.175 (primer 21) to 0.950 (primer 228). Cross-species polymorphic amplification in other four species and two varieties of section Thea (L.) Dyer genus Camellia L. was successful for the 24 loci. Contribution of the 24 novel EST-SSR primers presented here will provide necessary and powerful molecular tools for management and conservation studies on the tea germplasms in the future.