Development of nuclear microsatellite markers for the Lesser Blind Mole Rat Nannospalax leucodon (Rodentia: Spalacidae)

• DOI: 10.1007/s12686-014-0220-x
• Publication Date: 2014-05-10T09:01:12Z
• Authors: Oana Paula Popa; Gabriel Bogdan CH...; Dumitru Murariu; Luis Ovidiu Popa
• Keywords: 0301 basic medicine; 03 medical and health sciences

We describe here eight polymorphic microsatellite markers for Nannospalax leucodon, an exclusively subterranean and highly specialized rodent species which exhibits range contractions and population declines in Europe. The level of polymorphism was tested on 36 individuals of blind mole rat from Doubroudja region, in South-Eastern part of Romania. The number of alleles across all loci ranged from 7 to 12, with an average of 6.1 ± 0.571 alleles per locus. Observed heterozygosity ranged from 0.735 to 1. These loci will be a useful tool for the study of genetic structure and diversity of blind mole rat populations, whit immediate consequences in conservation strategy for these species.