title: Characterization of human cytomegalovirus strains by analysis of short tandem repeat polymorphisms.
abstract: Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) strains display genetic polymorphisms, and these polymorphisms can be analyzed to study viral transmission and pathogenesis. Recently, short tandem repeat (STR) length polymorphisms have been identified in the HCMV genome. We assessed the utility of STRs in characterizing HCMV strains and found that a multiplexed PCR assay using primers based upon these STRs accurately maps HCMV strains. Using primers for 10 microsatellite regions, the STR profiles of 44 wild-type and 2 laboratory strains of HCMV were characterized. The results of STR analysis were compared with those for strain characterization using nucleotide sequencing and restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis. In each instance, STR analysis accurately and specifically identified strains that were indistinguishable or distinct by conventional molecular analysis. Analysis of short tandem repeats also detected polymorphisms that supported simultaneous excretion of two HCMV strains. These results indicate that STR analysis allows rapid, precise molecular characterization of HCMV strains.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, UT 84113, USA.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Walker
authors.forename: S J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Petheram
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Ballard
authors.forename: J R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Murph
authors.forename: G J
authors.initials: GJ
authors.lastname: Demmler
authors.forename: J F
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Bale
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003587:Cytomegalovirus / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics*; D003586:Cytomegalovirus Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000821:virology*; D017931:DNA Primers / Q000235:genetics; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D018895:Microsatellite Repeats / Q000235:genetics*; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic / Q000235:genetics*; D012150:Polymorphism, Restriction Fragment Length; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA
chemical_list: D017931:DNA Primers