Pentapharsodinium dalei is a widely distributed
cold-water dinoflagellate, which is used in palaeoecology as
an indicator of relatively warmer conditions in polar and subpolar
regions. This species has been proposed to be one of the
first indicators of global warming at high latitudes.We developed
the first microsatellite markers for P. dalei to facilitate
the study of spatial and temporal population genetic changes.
Single cysts were isolated from surface sediments in Koljö
Fjord, Sweden. After cyst germination, single vegetative cells
were isolated for establishing monoclonal cultures. Six dinucleotide
polymorphic microsatellite markers were developed
as multiplex polymerase chain reactions and were genotyped
in 32 strains. The number of alleles per locus varied between 4
and 12, and the estimated gene diversity varied from 0.588 to
0.891. The haploid state of the vegetative cells was confirmed.
The six selected microsatellites will be useful to explore
population dynamics in P. dalei from contemporary planktonic
and revived benthic samples to enable, for example, detailed
studies into the evolutionary consequences of anthropogenic
and climate-driven habitat changes.