New microsatellite marker tools for genotype identification and analyses of genetic relationships in two ornamentals, the popular common lilac (Syringa vulgaris) and the invasive garden escapee Himalayan balsam (Impatiens glandulifera)

Abstract

Nowadays, high-throughput sequencing technologies are widely available. Yet, it is practical to have an access to simpler and cheaper, yet effective low-throughput analyses as well. For that purpose, species-specific microsatellites, also called simple sequence repeats (SSR), are valuable, multi-purpose types of markers. In the present study, we introduce new sets of SSR markers for two ornamental plant species, the popular common lilac (Syringa vulgaris L.) (16 markers) and the invasive garden escapee Himalayan balsam (Impatiens glandulifera Royle) (259 markers). The markers were developed as a by-product of a genotyping-by-sequencing project producing a large amount of DNA sequence data. Both the frequency of SSRs and the success rate for marker development were considerably greater in I. glandulifera when compared to S. vulgaris. The new markers will contribute to the characterization of germplasm and to other types of genetic analyses on these two species.