Microsatellites are considered the marker of choice in modern research. However, there is no application of microsatellites in the research on the genus Thymus due to the scarcity of specific primer pairs. Using in silico data of several genera in the family Lamiaceae, 23 microsatellite primer pairs (LT) were developed and evaluated in 48 samples representing 9 species and subspecies of the genus Thymus. | Turkish Journal of Biology Research Article Turk J Biol (2015) 39: 147-159 © TÜBİTAK doi: Microsatellites for genetic and taxonomic research on thyme (Thymus L.) Mehmet KARACA*, Ayşe Gül İNCE, Adnan AYDIN, Safinaz Y. ELMASULU, Kenan TURGUT Department of Field Crops, Faculty of Agriculture, Akdeniz University, Antalya, Turkey Received: Accepted: Published Online: Printed: Abstract: Microsatellites are considered the marker of choice in modern research. However, there is no application of microsatellites in the research on the genus Thymus due to the scarcity of specific primer pairs. Using in silico data of several genera in the family Lamiaceae, 23 microsatellite primer pairs (LT) were developed and evaluated in 48 samples representing 9 species and subspecies of the genus Thymus. Codominant and multiallelic LT microsatellite markers were not only useful in the determination of genetic structure and variation within and between the species but also were powerful taxonomic aids in the molecular phylogeny of Thymus L. Moreover, some LT primer pairs successfully cross-amplified microsatellite markers in Salvia and Origanum, indicating that they could be used in other genera in the family Lamiaceae. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of genic microsatellite markers for the genus Thymus. Key words: Cross-species transferable markers, genetic variations, simple sequence repeats, threatened species 1. Introduction Researchers in the food industry, academia, and medicine are increasingly interested in medicinal and aromatic plant species in the families Myrtaceae, Lauraceae, and Lamiaceae. Thyme (Thymus L.) is one of the most important genera in the family Lamiaceae. The number of species within this genus is still debatable but it includes about 400 species, many of which are native to the Mediterranean region (Morales, 2002). Based on .
