Amplification of North American Red Oak Microsatellite Markers in European White Oaks and Chinese Chestnut

Summary We examined the cross-species amplification success of thirty microsatellite markers developed from North American northern red oak (Quercus rubra) in other members of the family Fagaceae. Sixteen of these markers are newly developed and we report primer sequences and amplification conditions here. Twelve of the thirty (40.0%) red oak markers amplified and were polymorphic in the European white oaks Quercus petraea and Quercus robur. Five of the thirty loci (16.7%) also amplified and four were polymorphic in the phylogenetically distant Chinese chestnut (Castanea mollissima). These markers should be widely applicable to genetic studies of Quercus and other members of the Fagaceae.