Microsatellite diversity within Oryza sativa with emphasis on indica-japonica divergence.

The molecular evolution of cultivated rice Oryza sativa L. has long been a subject of rice evolutionists. To investigate genetic diversity within and differentiation between the indica and japonica subspecies, 22 accessions of indica and 35 of japonica rice were examined by five microsatellite loci from each chromosome totalling 60 loci.