Development and characterization of 22 polymorphic microsatellite markers for the balloon flower Platycodon grandiflorum (Campanulaceae).

The balloon flower (Platycodon grandiflorum A. DC.) is a perennial flowering plant of the Campanulaceae family; it is the only member of the genus Platycodon. Information on the genetic diversity of balloon flower populations is of great importance for the conservation and germplasm utilization of this flowering plant. Twenty-two polymorphic microsatellite loci were developed and characterized with eight balloon flower accessions collected from South Korea and China. Eighty-one alleles were detected among the eight balloon flower accessions. The number of alleles per locus ranged from two to six, with a mean of four alleles per locus. The observed and expected heterozygosity values ranged from 0.000 to 0.875 (mean = 0.355) and 0.117 to 0.766 (mean = 0.489), respectively. The polymorphic information content values ranged from 0.110 to 0.733, with a mean of 0.449. These new microsatellite markers will be useful for population and conservation genetic studies of P. grandiflorum.