Skip to main content
Dryad

Data from: Repetitive flanking sequences challenge SSR marker development: a case study in the lepidopteran Melanargia galathea

Cite this dataset

Schmid, Max; Csencsics, Daniela; Gugerli, Felix (2016). Data from: Repetitive flanking sequences challenge SSR marker development: a case study in the lepidopteran Melanargia galathea [Dataset]. Dryad. https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.82c5b

Abstract

Microsatellite DNA families (MDF) are stretches of DNA that share similar or identical sequences beside nuclear simple-sequence repeat (nSSR) motifs, potentially causing problems during nSSR marker development. Primers positioned within MDFs can bind several times within the genome and might result in multiple banding patterns. It is therefore common practice to exclude MDF loci in the course of marker development. Here, we propose an approach to deal with multiple primer binding sites by purposefully positioning primers within the detected repetitive element. We developed a new protocol to determine the family type and the primer position in relation to MDFs using the software packages RepARK and RepeatMasker together with an in-house R script. We re-evaluated newly developed nSSR markers for the lepidopteran Marbled White (Melanargia galathea) and explored the implications of our results with regard to published data sets of the butterfly Ephydryas aurinia, the grasshopper Stethophyma grossum, the conifer Pinus cembra, and the crucifer Arabis alpina. For M. galathea, we show that it is not only possible to develop reliable nSSR markers for MDF loci, but even to benefit from their presence in some cases: We used one unlabeled primer, successfully binding within an MDF, for two different loci in a multiplex PCR, combining this family primer with uniquely binding and fluorescently labeled primers outside of MDFs, respectively. As MDFs are abundant in many taxa, we propose to consider these during nSSR marker development in taxa concerned. Our new approach might help in reducing the number of tested primers during nSSR marker development.

Usage notes

Location

Switzerland