Microsatellite Markers for Raspberry and Blackberry

Abstract

Twelve microsatellites were isolated from simple sequence repeat (SSR)-enriched genomic libraries of ‘Meeker’ red raspberry (Rubus idaeus) and ‘Marion’ blackberry (Rubus hybrid). These primer pairs plus one developed from a GenBank red raspberry sequence were evaluated in 48 raspberry and 48 blackberry genotypes. Only RhM031 did not generate a product in raspberry, whereas RiG001 failed to amplify in blackberry and hybrid accessions. The number of polymerase chain reaction products per primer pair in the 12 SSRs that successfully amplified was higher in blackberry genotypes and their hybrids than in raspberry, ranging from three to 29 in blackberry (average, 14.4) and from one to 15 in red raspberry (average, 7.5). Diversity estimates were determined for 10 of 12 SSRs that amplified up to two products in 44 red raspberry genotypes. The best SSR loci based on high observed and expected heterozygosities, high polymorphism information content, and low inbreeding coefficient were RiM019, RhM003, and RhM011. They mapped to three different linkage groups (5, 2, and 7, respectively) in red raspberry and differentiated the unique genotypes identified with the 12 SSRs in each crop type.