Development of EST-derived microsatellite markers in the pearl oyster Pinctada martensii (Dunker) for genetic resource monitoring

Seventeen microsatellite markers were isolated from expressed sequence tags (ESTs) of Pinctada martensii for genetic resource monitoring. All loci amplified consistently in a wild Sanya Bay population and in a hatchery strain produced by intraspecific cross breeding. The number of alleles per locus ranged from 3 to 11 as characterized in 21 wild pearl oysters, and 4 to 8 in 21 hatchery individuals. The expected and observed heterozygosities ranged from 0.50 to 0.88, 0.10 to 0.86 in wild population, and 0.38 to 0.85, 0.10 to 0.91 in the hatchery, respectively. Most of those loci are in Hardy–Weinberg equilibrium ( P > 0.05 after Bonferroni correction). Results revealed significant genetic differentiation between the wild and hatchery populations. These markers should be useful for population genetics studies and genetic resource monitoring in this species.