Development and Characterization of Microsatellite Markers for Rhododendron Purdomii Using Next-Generation Sequencing

Abstract Rhododendron purdomii, an endangered ornamental species endemic to the Qinling Mountains, is an important component of montane ecosystem in central China. Due to the impact of climate change and human disturbance, management and conservation of this species are in urgent needs. In this study, we developed 13 novel microsatellite markers for R. purdomii based on next-generation sequencing data, and tested these markers’ utility in congeneric species R. concinnum. For the 13 microsatellite markers in three R. purdomii populations, number of alleles ranged from two to 12, number of effective alleles was from 1.000 to 8.892, Shannon’s information index was from 0.000 to 2.320, and the observed and expected heterozygosity were from 0.000 to 1.000 and from 0.000 to 0.888, respectively. Cross-species amplification for R. concinnum indicated eight microsatellite loci were successfully amplified and polymorphic. The microsatellite markers developed in this study will provide opportunities for examining the genetic diversity and population structure of R. purdomii and contribute to the effective conservation of this species.