Clematoclethrais a genus endemic to the subtropical and temperate regions of central and western China. It has been proposed as a dynamic group with ongoing speciation. C. scandens is the only one polymorphic species in this genus. Population genetic research is critical to provide a better understanding of the genetic structure and speciation of C. scandens.

　To investigate its population genetics and speciation, Dr. Xiao Longqian of Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden (XTBG) and his colleagues developed and characterized microsatellite markers for C. scandens using the Fast Isolation by AFLP of Sequences COntaining repeats (FIASCO) method. Their polymorphisms were assessed in two natural populations.

36 microsatellite markers were developed for C. scandens. The high discriminatory power of 30 polymorphic loci suggested that they should be suitable for surveys of population genetics and speciation process. Those developed and characterized microsatellite markers should also be useful for studies on breeding system and patterns of gene flow.

The study entitled “Isolation and characterization of microsatellite markers from Clematoclethra scandens (Actinidiaceae)” has been published online in American Journal of Botany, 99 (6): e258-e261, doi: 10.3732/ajb.1100556