Characterization of microsatellite loci in chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) and cross-species amplification in other salmonids

Previous studies of population genetic structure of fall-run chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) in California's Central Valley have either not focused on or have been unable to resolve intertributary differences within the San Joaquin River basin. The authors describe the isolation, the polymerase chain reaction conditions, and characterize the cioss-species amplification of 17 microsatellite loci in six species of salmonids. Fourteen of these loci are polymorphic in fall-run chinook from the San Joaquin River drainage. These results indicate the potential utility of microsatellite markers developed for one species, for both congenerics and species within a closely related genus.