title: Nucleotide sequences that distinguish Oka vaccine from parental Oka and other varicella-zoster virus isolates.
abstract: The sequences of approximately 34 kb from the 3' end of the varicella-zoster virus (VZV) Oka vaccine strain and the previously sequenced Dumas strain were compared. Sequence differences were noted in the coding sequences of several VZV open reading frames (ORFs), including ORFs 48, 51, 52, 55, 56, 58, 59, 60, 62, 64, and 68. Tests based on differences in the ORF62 gene and in the ORF64 poly-A region successfully distinguished the Oka vaccine strain from its wild-type parent and from other Japanese and US clinical isolates. These changes remained stable after passage of the virus in humans.
authors.affiliation: Division of Viral Products, Office of Vaccines Research and Review, Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, Food and Drug Administration, Bethesda, MD, USA.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Argaw
authors.forename: J I
authors.initials: JI
authors.lastname: Cohen
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Klutch
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Lekstrom
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Yoshikawa
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Asano
authors.forename: P R
authors.initials: PR
authors.lastname: Krause
mesh_terms: D001483:Base Sequence; D019433:Chickenpox Vaccine / Q000235:genetics*; D014645:Herpesvirus 3, Human / Q000235:genetics*; D016366:Open Reading Frames; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D014614:Vaccines, Synthetic / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D019433:Chickenpox Vaccine; D014614:Vaccines, Synthetic