Validation of dbEST-SSRs and transferability of some other solanaceous species SSR in ashwagandha [Withania Somnifera (L.) Dunal].

Cross-species transferability and expressed sequence tags (ESTs) in public databases are cost-effective means for developing simple sequence repeats (SSRs) for less-studied species like medicinal plants. In this study, 11 EST-SSR markers developed from 742 available ESTs of Withania Somnifera EST sequences and 95 SSR primer pairs derived from other solanaceous crops (tomato, eggplant, chili, and tobacco) were utilized for their amplification and validation. Out of 11, 10 EST-SSRs showed good amplification quality and produced 13 loci with a product size ranging between 167 and 291 bp.