Isolation and characterization of microsatellite loci in Acer opalus (Aceraceae), a sexually-polymorphic tree, through an enriched genomic library

An enrichment protocol was used to isolate and characterize microsatellite loci in Acer opalus, a Mediterranean tree species. Highly polymorphic microsatellite loci were required for paternity analyses in a population of this species. Eight microsatellite loci were amplified and a total of 87 alleles were detected in a sample of 142 individuals from one population, allowing the identification of each individual with a unique multilocus genotype. The paternity exclusion probabilities varied from 0.261 for locus Aop820 to 0.806 for locus Aop450, and the parent-pair exclusion probabilities varied from 0.433 for Aop820 to 0.940 for Aop450. The cumulative probabilities of exclusion for paternity and parentage of the eight loci were both higher than 0.999, supporting the usefulness of these microsatellite loci for future paternity and parentage analyses in A. opalus. Cross-species transferability was also assayed, supporting their potential use in other eight Acer species.