SREL Reprint #3560

Isolation and characterization of 13 microsatellite loci for the Neotropical otter, Lontra longicaudis, by next generation sequencing

María Camila Latorre-Cardenas1,2, Carla Gutiérrez-Rodríguez1, and Stacey L. Lance3

1Red de Biología Evolutiva, Instituto de Ecología A.C, 91070 Xalapa, Veracruz, México
2Posgrado Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, 04510 Ciudad de México, México
3Savannah River Ecology Laboratory, University of Georgia, Aiken, SC 29802, USA

Abstract: The Neotropical otter, Lontra longicaudis, is an ecologically important species for freshwater ecosystems that is threatened due to habitat destruction and hunting. However, there is limited information regarding the population sizes, genetic diversity, genetic structure and gene fow of the species, which is crucial for the elaboration of conservation plans. The aim of this study was to isolate and characterize microsatellites for L. longicaudis, using Illumina paired-end-sequencing. Initial amplifcation tests were performed in 48 loci, out of which, 13 yielded high-quality PCR products and thus were further evaluated. Genetic diversity and discrimination power of the 13 microsatellite loci was assessed using 19 non-invasive samples collected in the Jamapa basin in Veracruz, Mexico and blood samples from six captive individuals. All loci were polymorphic, the number of alleles per locus ranged from 4 to 10, the observed heterozygosity from 0.21 to 0.69, and the expected heterozygosity from 0.55 to 0.82. The combined set of 13 microsatellites showed a high power for discriminating among individuals (probability of identity PID = 1.551 × 10-16) and among siblings (probability of identity of siblings PIDSIB = 3.349 × 10-06). A combination of nine loci are sufcient to discriminate among siblings with high confdence (PIDSIB < 0.0001). The new set of microsatellites for the Neotropical otter reported here will provide a useful genetic tool to assess population genetic patterns and ecological parameters of the species.

Keywords: Discrimination power; Genetic diversity; Lontra longicaudis; Microsatellites; Freshwater ecosystems

SREL Reprint #3560

Latorre-Cardenas, M. C., C. Gutiérrez-Rodríguez, and S. L. Lance. 2020. Isolation and characterization of 13 microsatellite loci for the Neotropical otter, Lontra longicaudis, by next generation sequencing. Molecular Biology Reports 47(1): 731-736.

This information was provided by the University of Georgia's Savannah River Ecology Laboratory (srel.uga.edu).