Skip to main content
ARS Home » Southeast Area » Charleston, South Carolina » Vegetable Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #325259
Research Project: Sustainable Approaches for Pest Management in Vegetable Crops

Location: Vegetable Research

Title: Characterization of thirteen microsatellite loci from the Ghanian antimalarial plant Cryptolepis sanguinolenta

Author
item AMISSAH, J - University Of Ghana
item Wadl, Phillip
item HADZIABDIC, DENITA - University Of Tennessee
item BOGGESS, SARAH - University Of Tennessee
item TRIGIANO, ROBERT - University Of Tennessee

Submitted to: Journal of Medicinal Plants Research
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 3/21/2016
Publication Date: 5/27/2016
Citation: Amissah, J.N., Wadl, P., Hadziabdic, D., Boggess, S., Trigiano, R. 2016. Characterization of thirteen microsatellite loci from the Ghanian antimalarial plant Cryptolepis sanguinolenta. Journal of Medicinal Plants Research. 10(14):183-187.

Interpretive Summary: The West African plant, Cryptolepis sanguinolenta, is used in traditional medicine for malaria treatment and native populations are being negatively impacted by overharvesting and lack of conservation. The goal of scientists at the University of Tennessee, United States Department of Agriculture Agricultural Research Service, and the University of Ghana was to develop DNA markers for this threatened plant species to aid in future studies of genetic diversity that will facilitate breeding and conservation of the species. We developed 13 variable DNA markers and demonstrated their usefulness by assessing genetic diversity of 22 plant samples collected from Ghana in West Africa. This study provides a valuable tool for plant breeders in selecting improved individuals and in helping conservation efforts for this species.

Technical Abstract: Cryptolepis sanguinolenta (Lindl.) Schlechter (Periplocaceae) is an herbaceous plant used in traditional medicine to treat malaria and populations of the species are diminishing due to overharvesting and lack of conservation. Co-dominant microsatellite markers that can be used to characterize genetic diversity and population structure are currently not available. Therefore, we isolated 75 microsatellite loci from genomic sequence data, which were then screened for the ability to reveal polymorphisms. From the 75 candidate loci, 13 polymorphic microsatellite loci were optimized for future population genetics studies. Twenty-two C. sanguinolenta samples were collected from eight different geographical locations in Ghana. Alleles per locus ranged from 3 to 7 with a mean of 4.4. Expected heterozygosity ranged from 0.24 to 0.77, and all but one locus deviated significantly from Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium. Genetic differentiation mean was 0.06 among all loci, indicating relatively low genetic diversity in these samples. These microsatellite loci should be useful to study genetic diversity, gene flow and population structure as well as in a project involving breeding and conservation of C. sanguinolenta.