SNP discovery and Characterization from transcriptomes of Asian yellow pond turtle, Mauremys mutica.

Asian yellow pond turtle ( Mauremys mutica) is an endangered species, being listed in the IUCN red list of threatened species. In China, most living resources are kept in turtle farms. Insufficient molecular markers have hindered the effective management and artificial breeding programs of this important species. In this study, we discovered and validated 43 novel polymorphic bi-allelic SNP markers for M. mutica from the transcriptome of brain and gonad tissue. The observed and expected heterozygosity ranged from 0.0303 to 0.5758 and 0.0303-0.5072, respectively. These markers would be used in genetic studies helping conservation and management of M. mutica. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]