Isolation and Characterization of Microsatellite Loci for a Bioenergy Grass, Miscanthus sacchariflorus (Poaceae)

Premise of the study: Microsatellite loci were developed for the biomass C4 grass, Miscanthus sacchariflorus, and proved to be suitable markers for population genetic studies and germplasm management of this species. Methods and Results: Twenty-three polymorphic microsatellite loci were identified from an enriched genomic library of M. sacchariflorus. The polymorphism was assessed in 50 individuals from two populations in China. The number of alleles per locus varied from two to 18, with a mean of 8.13. The observed and expected heterozygosities ranged from 0.2 to 1.0 and from 0.198 to 0.898, respectively. Conclusions: These new markers will be useful for further investigation of genetic diversity and population genetic structure as well as molecular breeding of Miscanthus species.