Isolation and characterization of microsatellite markers for Acacia tortilis (Forsk.) Hayne

Acacia tortilis is a drought tolerant multipurpose dryland tree species widely distributed in Africa and Asia. Its overexploitation has caused its population decrease. A set of 11 polymorphic nuclear microsatellite loci were isolated and characterized for A. tortilis using samples from three natural populations from Kenya. All the loci were polymorphic and on average, 14 alleles per locus were detected ranging from 12 to 16. Expected and observed heterozygosity ranged from 0.681 to 0.856 and 0.656–0.85 respectively. These microsatellite markers will provide valuable genetic data for studies and sustainable management strategy for A. tortilis.