Development and characterization of tetranucleotide microsatellite loci for the American alligator (Alligator mississippiensis)

We isolated and characterized 17 tetranucleotide microsatellite loci in the American alligator, Alligator mississippiensis . Loci were screened across 27 individuals from one population and shown to be polymorphic with the number of alleles per locus ranging from 2 to 12. Polymorphic information content ranged from 0.2 to 0.85, and observed heterozygosity ranged from 0.185 to 0.889. One locus showed significant deviation from Hardy–Weinberg equilibrium, and one pair of loci showed evidence of linkage.