title: Rapid identification of flaviviruses based on conserved NS5 gene sequences.
abstract: Two conserved regions in the sequence of the NS5 gene of Flaviviruses were identified. Primers were designed from the consensus sequence of these regions and were used in a reverse transcription/polymerase chain reaction (RT/PCR) to amplify a region of the central european tick-borne encephalitis virus Kumlinge NS5 gene. The authenticity of the amplified fragment was confirmed by nucleotide sequencing. A band of the expected size was also obtained when this RT/PCR was applied to 13 other flaviviral RNAs. This method may be useful for characterisation of the NS5 genes of flaviviruses and as a potential pan-flavivirus diagnostic tool.
authors.affiliation: Chemical and Biological Defence Establishment, Porton Down, Salisbury, Wiltshire, UK.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Fulop
authors.forename: A D
authors.initials: AD
authors.lastname: Barrett
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Phillpotts
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Martin
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Leslie
authors.forename: R W
authors.initials: RW
authors.lastname: Titball
mesh_terms: D001483:Base Sequence; D017124:Conserved Sequence; D017931:DNA Primers; D005416:Flavivirus / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D018177:Flavivirus Infections / Q000175:diagnosis; D005814:Genes, Viral; D006801:Humans; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000235:genetics; D016415:Sequence Alignment; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D012689:Sequence Homology, Nucleic Acid
chemical_list: D017931:DNA Primers; D012367:RNA, Viral