1 research outputs found
Null alleles are ubiquitous at microsatellite loci in the Wedge Clam (Donax trunculus)
Recent studies have reported an unusually high frequency of nonamplifying alleles
at microsatellite loci in bivalves. Null alleles have been associated with heterozygous
deficits in many studies. While several studies have tested for its presence using different
analytical tools, few have empirically tested for its consequences in estimating population
structure and differentiation. We characterised 16 newly developed microsatellite
loci and show that null alleles are ubiquitous in the wedge clam, Donax trunculus. We
carried out several tests to demonstrate that the large heterozygous deficits observed in
the newly characterised loci were most likely due to null alleles. We tested the robustness
of microsatellite genotyping for population assignment by showing that well-recognised
biogeographic regions of the south Atlantic and south Mediterranean coast of Spain
harbour genetically different populations