Development and characterization of simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers in the water lotus (Nelumbo nucifera)

Simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers were developed in the water lotus (Nelumbo nucifera Gaertn.) from an SSR-enriched genomic library. Of the SSR markers tested, 11 primer pairs produced clearly distinguishable DNA banding patterns. Forty-three alleles were detected with the 11 markers. The allele number per locus ranged from 2 to 5 with an average of 3.9. Polymorphism values ranged from 0.11 to 0.66 with an average of 0.51. These primers were also applicable to another Nelumbo species, Nelumbo lutea (Willd.) Pers. (American lotus) and hybrids between N. nucifera and N. lutea. These results indicate that the SSR markers developed in this study are informative and will be useful for genetic analysis in Nelumbo species.