Transfer of simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers from major cereal crops to minor grass species for germplasm characterization and evaluation

A major challenge for the molecular characterization and evaluation of minor grass species germplasm is the lack of sufficient DNA markers. A set of 210 simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers developed from major cereal crops (self-pollinated wheat and rice, mainly self-pollinated sorghum and out-crossing maize) were evaluated for their transferability to minor grass species (finger millet, Eleusine coracana; seashore paspalum, Paspalum vaginatum; and bermudagrass, Cynodon dactylon). In total, 412 cross-species polymorphic amplicons were identified. Over half of the primers generated reproducible cross-species or cross-genus amplicons. The transfer rate of SSR markers was correlated with the phylogenetic relationship (or genetic relatedness) of these species. The average transfer rate of genomic SSR markers was different from the average transfer rate of expressed sequence tag (EST)-SSR markers. The level of polymorphism was significantly higher among species (67%) than within species (34%), and was related to the degree of out-crossing for each species. The level of polymorphism detected within species was 57% from self-incompatible species, 39% from out-crossing species and 20% from self-pollinated species. Genomic SSRs detected a higher level of polymorphism than EST-SSRs. The use of transferred polymorphic SSR markers for the characterization and evaluation of germplasm is discussed.