Polymorphism of microsatellite loci OF THE ENGLISH OAK
Polymorphism of 6 microsatellite loci and level of inter-population differentiation are investigated by using plant material from several English oak populations of the Southern Urals (the Republic Bashkortostan, Perm Kray, Orenburg region). All loci were highly polymorphic, ranging in variability from 5.89±0.51 to 10.67±1.11 alleles per a population. The measure of inter population differentiation Fst ranged from 0.045 to 0.096 averaged 0.081 across all loci. An evidence of relatively high resolution of the microsatellite analysis is that all the studied trees were unique in the allelic profiles. Contrary to expectations, we did not detected a reduction of the genetic diversity in isolated small stands. Overall, a complex of historical, ecological and population-genetic factors might favor quite restricted gene flow among oak stands and the retention of their high genetic diversity. It is likely that oak populations from the South Urals are differentiated genetically to a greater extent than in the center of the area of the species. Thus, an efficiency of the genetic markers for solving of problems of forest genetics and breeding is demonstrated. These genetic markers can be recommended not only for further fundamental researches, but also for a wide range of problems of forest genetics and breeding.