New Microsatellite Markers to Analyze Genetic Structure of Gray Mangrove, Avicennia marina (Forsk.) Vierh

Abstract

We developed SSR markers for improved genetic diversity analysis of Avicennia marina, the coastal Red Sea gray mangrove, and regional mangrove conservation. Twenty-nine new expressed sequence tag (EST)-derived primers and 12 previously reported primers were used to investigate polymorphism in 45 A. marina specimens from three natural populations along the Egyptian Red Sea coast. Polymorphisms were detected at five loci whose the number of alleles, heterozygosity, and polymorphic information content ranged 3-6, 0.561-0.756, and 0.459-0.715, respectively. The five loci showed allele frequency variation among the three stands, indicating their utility for genetic diversity analysis of A. marina.