Microsatellite loci characterized in the leaf-cutter ant Atta laevigata.

ABSTRACT:

Background

The leaf-cutter ant Atta laevigata (Formicidae: Attini) is an agricultural pest largely distributed in the Neotropics and a model organism for studies of evolution, speciation and population genetics. Microsatellites are a very powerful tool for these kind of studies, but such markers are not available for studies on A. laevigata. In the present report, we describe the isolation and characterization of nine microsatellite loci in A. laevigata and the testing of these markers across other species of leaf-cutter ants.

Findings

Nine microsatellite loci, consisting of six dinucloeotide, one trinucleotide, one tetranucleotide, and one di/trinucleotide repeat motifs, were isolated and characterized. Primers and protocols were successfully designed to selectively amplify

SUBMITTER: Kakazu S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3751492 | biostudies-literature | 2013 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature