Development of Polymorphic SSR Markers from Pinus densiflora (Pinaceae) Natural Population in Korea

Simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers were developed from Pinus densiflora, a species native to Asia, to investigate its genetic diversity and population structure in order to provide information for the management and breeding of this species. Using next-generation sequencing, a total of 1,008 putatively polymorphic SSR primer sets were designed. Seventeen polymorphic SSR markers in 121 individuals belonging to four natural populations of P. densiflora were identified and characterized, with three to seventeen alleles per locus. The expected heterozygosity ranged from 0.1844 to 0.8731 in four populations, and the average of the PIC values ranged from 0.2789 to 0.8488. Cross amplification of these markers was performed among the related species P. rigida, P. koraiensis, P. parviflora, and P. bungeana. The developed novel SSR markers are promising tools for studying the genetic diversity or population structure of P. densiflora and its related species.