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Mutational variability at microsatellite loci is shaped by both population history and the mating system. In turn, alternate mating systems in flowering plants can resolve aspects of microsatellite loci evolution. Five species of yellow monkeyflowers (Mimulus sect. Simiolis) differing for historical rates of inbreeding were surveyed for variation at six microsatellite loci. High levels of diversity at these loci were found in both outcrossing and selfing taxa. In line with allozyme studies, inbreeders showed more partitioning of diversity among populations, and diversity in selfing taxa was lower than expected from reductions in effective population size due to selfing alone, suggesting the presence of either population bottlenecks or background selection in selfers. Evaluation of the stepwise mutation model (a model of DNA replication slippage) suggests that these loci evolve in a stepwise fashion. Inferred coalescent times of microsatellite alleles indicate that past bottlenecks of population size or colonization events were important in reducing diversity in the inbreeding taxon.

Original publication

DOI

10.1093/oxfordjournals.molbev.a025708

Type

Journal

Molecular biology and evolution

Publication Date

10/1997

Volume

14

Pages

1023 - 1034

Addresses

Department of Botany, University of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. awadalla@botany.utoronto.ca

Keywords

Plants, Crosses, Genetic, Polymerase Chain Reaction, Inbreeding, Evolution, Molecular, Species Specificity, Microsatellite Repeats, Mutation, Alleles, Genes, Plant, Models, Genetic, Genetic Variation