De novo transcriptome assembly and development of EST-SSR markers for Pterocarpus santalinus L. f. (Red sanders), a threatened and endemic tree of India

The endemic and precious tree Pterocarpus santalinus L. f. (Red sanders) is a drought hardy species for conservation in peninsular India due to its high risk of illegal timber harvest. It only found Eastern Ghats India, has become threatened owing overexploitation valuable timber. development genomic resources, particularly simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers, essential strict implementation situ measures application DNA information based red sanders genetic resource management. However, lack data efficient molecular markers limit the study spatial temporal population structure, identification diversity hotspots improvement. current aims at comprehensive characterization somatic chromosome counts, flow cytometry EST-SSR analyses. results revealed that diploid with 2n = 20 2C genome size was 0.7872 ± 0.0561 pg first time this species. A total 3128 EST-SSRs were detected on 25,854 de novo assembled unigenes from transcriptome primer sets designed 1953 SSRs. Fifty-nine evaluated polymorphism natural populations 13 be suitable analysis. Two major transcription factor families bHLH ERF, responsible abiotic stress secondary metabolite synthesis analysed which would provide foundation further research production medicinally important biocompounds.