Development, characterization, and transferability of SSR markers for Vriesea carinata (Bromeliaceae) based on RNA sequencing

Premise of the Study Expressed sequence tag–simple sequence repeat (EST‐SSR) markers were isolated for Vriesea carinata, an endemic bromeliad from the Brazilian Atlantic Forest. These SSR loci may be used to investigate the genetic diversity and population structure of this species and related bromeliads. Methods and Results Based on the transcriptome data of V. carinata, 30 primer pairs were designed and selected for initial validation. Of these primer pairs, 16 generated suitable SSR loci in 69 individuals. The number of alleles per locus ranged from one to 13; the levels of observed and expected heterozygosity per locus ranged from 0.000 to 1.000 and from 0.000 to 0.935, respectively. All loci produced heterologous amplification. Transferability of the loci was tested in 15 species belonging to three Bromeliaceae subfamilies. Conclusions The developed EST‐SSR markers revealed polymorphism in the four studied populations and could be useful to investigate the genetic diversity of V. carinata and related species. The markers may also be suitable for novel gene annotation and discovery.