H.-X. Jiang, S.L. Ren, Y.-Q. Hou, M. Yang and X.-B. Wu
Genet. Mol. Res. 10 (3): 2034-2037 (2011)
Published September 12, 2011
DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.4238/vol10-3gmr1164

Cite this Article:
H.-X. Jiang, S.L. Ren, Y.-Q. Hou, M. Yang and X.-B. Wu (2011). Isolation of polymorphic microsatellite loci for Saunders’s gull (Larus saundersi) from a coastal wetland in China. Genet. Mol. Res. 10(3): 2034-2037. http://dx.doi.org/10.4238/vol10-3gmr1164

About the Authors:
H.-X. Jiang, S.L. Ren, Y.-Q. Hou, M. Yang and X.-B. Wu
Corresponding author: Y.-Q. Hou
E-mail: houyq@caf.ac.cn

ABSTRACT
Nine polymorphic microsatellite loci were isolated, using tetranucleotide repeat oligonucleotide probes from an enriched DNA library of the globally “vulnerable” Saunders’s gull (Larus saundersi), collected from the Yancheng coastal wetland, one of the three remaining breeding sites in China. Six breast muscle tissues and 16 blood samples from 22 gulls and eight eggshell membrane tissues were collected for this analysis. The number of alleles per locus ranged from 4 to 15, with a mean of 8.9. The observed and expected heterozygosities ranged from 0.58 to 0.89 and 0.58 to 0.9, with means of 0.77 and 0.81, respectively. No significant linkage disequilibrium and no divergence from Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium were detected among these loci. Based on Micro-Checker tests, no null alleles are present at any of the loci. The microsatellite loci described here will be valuable for exploring population genetic structure and for other relevant genetic studies of Saunders’s gull.

Key words: Saunders’s gull; Larus saundersi; Microsatellite; Genetic marker; Polymorphism.