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Recombination in tissue culture between varicella‐zoster virus strains
Author(s) -
Dohner Dennis E.,
Adams Susan G.,
Gelb Lawrence D.
Publication year - 1988
Publication title -
journal of medical virology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.782
H-Index - 121
eISSN - 1096-9071
pISSN - 0146-6615
DOI - 10.1002/jmv.1890240310
Subject(s) - virology , biology , virus , restriction enzyme , varicella zoster virus , varicella vaccine , strain (injury) , attenuated vaccine , restriction fragment , recombination , dna , microbiology and biotechnology , virulence , genetics , immunization , antigen , gene , anatomy
Several clinical varicella‐zoster virus isolates obtained during testing of a live varicella vaccine had DNA restriction fragment patterns resembling neither vaccine nor wild‐type virus [Gelb et al., J Infect. Dis. 155 , 633–640, 1987]. One explanation for these isolates was recombination in vivo. To determine if such recombination is likely, two strains of varicella‐zoster virus, distinguishable by restriction endonuclease fragment size differences (wild‐type strain EF and the OKA vaccine strain), were grown together in tissue culture. After three passages, the mixed infection virus was plaque‐purified. DNA from about 13% of the plaque‐purified isolates had one or more Bgl I fragments found in neither parental virus. Hybridization studies showed that isolates containing one of the new Bgl I fragments were recombinants of the two parental strains. The Bgl I restriction fragment pattern of these recombinants resembled those of the unusual varicella isolates from individuals either vaccinated with the live attenuated OKA varicella vaccine and later exposed to natural varicella, or simultaneously exposed to both a recent recipient of the vaccine and natural varicella.