Meeting Abstract
5.1 Jan. 4 Adapting Crotalus microsatellites for use in the Florida cottonmouth, Agkistrodon piscivorus conanti MCCLEARY, R.J.R.*; OSTROW, D.G.; CLARK, A.M.; University of Florida, Department of Zoology; University of Florida, ICBR Genetic Analysis Lab; University of Florida, ICBR Genetic Analysis Lab mccleary@zoo.ufl.edu
Microsatellite loci are powerful tools for analyzing many parameters of population genetics. However, development of microsatellites can be very time consuming and frustrating. One alternative to species-specific development of microsatellite loci is to use those that have been developed for use in other, closely-related species. Although this technique has been espoused as a viable alternative, and although cross-reactivity (in terms of amplification) has previously been shown even in distantly-related species, few studies have examined fragment variability using microsatellites developed in different snake species. The Florida cottonmouth, Agkistrodon piscivorus conanti, is a well-studied, venomous snake that has been examined in a population context. However, microsatellite loci have not been specifically developed for use in this species. We assayed loci developed for four species of rattlesnakes (Crotalus horridus, C. tigris, C. viridis concolor, and C. willardi obscurus) in order to find polymorphic loci suitable for use in cottonmouths. Annealing temperature and MgCl2 gradients were utilized to optimize reaction conditions in A. p. conanti. Of the 23 primer sets examined, 13 (56.5%) showed PCR products within the typical size ranges reported for the species of development. Of these 13 loci, 8 (34.8% of total) showed variability using a small sampling of cottonmouths (N = 11). These results support previous observations that microsatellites developed in one snake species may be useful for genetic analysis at the population level in other snake species.
