Paternity Testing Research Today is a free monthly online journal that collates and summarizes the latest research about Paternity Testing, including details on accuracy, methods, procedure, dna testing.

Multiplexed microsatellite markers for the genetic analysis of Eucalyptus leucoxylon (Myrtaceae) and their utility for ecological and breeding studies in other eucalyptus species.

Ottewell KM, Donnellan SC, Moran GF, Paton DC

Department of Environmental Biology, Evolutionary Biology Unit and Centre for Evolutionary Biology and Biodiversity, University of Adelaide, North Terrace, Adelaide, South Australia.

Eucalyptus leucoxylon is a widespread woodland tree species found in southeastern Australia that has suffered from, and continues to be, threatened by the impacts of habitat clearance and degradation. Populations now consist predominantly of scattered individuals, and their conservation status is of increasing concern. We report the development and characterization of a set of eight highly polymorphic microsatellite loci for E. leucoxylon. The loci can be amplified in three PCR multiplexes and electrophoresed in a single lane, allowing rapid throughput of large numbers of samples. A total of 111 alleles were detected in 68 individuals with an average of 12.3 alleles per locus, a mean expected heterozygosity of 0.83, and a mean observed heterozygosity of 0.72. The combined probabilities of identity and probabilities of paternity exclusion allow an extremely precise level of individual identification, indicating that these microsatellite markers will be ideal for population genetic and parentage-type studies in E. leucoxylon. The markers also exhibited an average of 76% conservation within the subgenus Symphyomyrtus, to which E. leucoxylon belongs, and 53% conservation across other subgenera of Eucalyptus, demonstrating the potential of these markers in ecological and breeding studies in a wide range of Eucalyptus species.

Published 25 July 2005 in J Hered, 96(4): 445-51.
Full-text of this article is available online (may require subscription).

© 2004-2008 Paternity Testing Research Today. All Rights Reserved.