An analytical method for R5 repeated structure in varicella-zoster virus DNA by polymerase chain reaction.
The tandem direct reiteration, R5, in varicella-zoster virus (VZV) genome consists of 88-bp and 24-bp elements. The R5 structure was examined by the polymerase chain reaction to differentiate between various strains. A sense primer was designed at the 88-bp element and an antisense primer at the site separated from R5, in which we expected to detect multiple bands corresponding to repeating numbers of 88-bp elements. Thirty-four wild strains and a vaccine strain were analyzed using this method. The 34 wild strains showed two to four bands corresponding to numbers of 88-bp elements, in which the strain showing three bands was found to be predominant. The vaccine strain also revealed three bands.
Yoshida
M
M
Department of Dermatology, Kinki University, School of Medicine, Osaka, Japan.
Tamura
T
T
D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D006562:Herpes Zoster / Q000821:virology; D014645:Herpesvirus 3, Human / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D006801:Humans; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods*; D018807:Polymorphism, Single-Stranded Conformational; D012091:Repetitive Sequences, Nucleic Acid
D004279:DNA, Viral