ARS | Publication request: Microsatellite markers for species of genus Dionda (Cyprinidae) from the American southwest

Submitted to: Conservation Genetics
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: December 17, 2008
Publication Date: N/A

Interpretive Summary: The genus Dionda is comprised of spring and stream inhabiting cyprinid fish found in arid and semi-tropical regions of southwest North America. Species in the American southwest include the Manantial roundnose minnow (Dionda argentosa), Devil's River minnow (Dionda diaboli), roundnose minnow (Dionda episcopa), Guadalupe roundnose minnow (Dionda nigrotaeniata), and Nueces roundnose minnow (Dionda serena). The Devil's River minnow is listed as critically imperiled, the Manantial and Nueces roundnose minnows are listed as imperiled, while the conservation status of the Guadalupe roundnose minnow is unknown. Factors impacting these species include present and future potential threats from habitat degradation, introduced species, and decreased water quality and quantity. Herein, we describe development of thirty-eight microsatellite markers that can be used in conservation studies including the defining of conservation units designing of captive breeding programs to enhance wild stocks.

Technical Abstract: Thirty-eight microsatellite markers were developed from an enriched genomic DNA library of the cyprinid fish (minnow) Dionda episcopa. The microsatellites include 31 perfect-repeat motifs (29 dinucleotide, 1 trinucleotide, and 1 tetranucleotide) and seven imperfect-repeat dinucleotide motifs. The microsatellite primers were used to amplify microsatellites from four related congeners: Dionda argentosa, Dionda diaboli, Dionda nigrotaeniata, and Dionda serena. One species (D. diaboli) is listed as threatened and critically imperiled and two species (D. argentosa and D. serena) are listed as imperiled; the conservation status of D. nigrotaeniata is unknown. The number of experimentally tractable microsatellite markers varied from 28 for D. diaboli to 34 for D. episcopa. The number of polymorphic microsatellites conforming to Hardy-Weinberg expectations (following Bonferroni correction) ranged from 21 (D. diaboli and D. nigrotaeniata) to 27 (D. argentosa). One pairwise comparison of microsatellites (in D. nigrotaeniata) deviated significantly from expectations of genotypic equilibrium. The microsatellite markers will be useful for conservation and population-genetic studies of these and other species in genus Dionda.