Premise of the study: Microsatellite markers were isolated and characterized from the genome of Momordica charantia (bitter melon) to be applied in studies of genetic diversity and population structure.
Methods and results: Twenty-five microsatellite loci were isolated from the genome of bitter melon using the Fast Isolation by AFLP of Sequences COntaining Repeats (FIASCO) method. Ten loci were polymorphic, and the number of alleles per locus ranged from three to seven, with the observed heterozygosity ranging from 0.46 to 0.65. The markers also amplified successfully in the related species M. cochinchinensis and Cucurbita pepo.
Conclusions: These markers will have potential utility for applications in genetic diversity evaluation, molecular fingerprinting, identification, comparative genomics analysis, and genetic mapping in Momordica species, as well as in C. pepo.