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Detection of Varicella‐Zoster Virus DNA by Field‐Inversion Gel Electrophoresis
Author(s) -
Arao Yujiro,
Yoshida Mariko,
Bat Zeng Liang,
Kori Yoshifumi,
Nakatsukasa Akihiro,
Takei Yoji,
Aoji Katsuya,
Yamada Masao,
Uno Fumio,
Miyoshi Kaoru,
Nii Shiro
Publication year - 1990
Publication title -
microbiology and immunology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.664
H-Index - 70
eISSN - 1348-0421
pISSN - 0385-5600
DOI - 10.1111/j.1348-0421.1990.tb01009.x
Subject(s) - biology , varicella zoster virus , virology , dna , virus , genomic dna , herpes simplex virus , microbiology and biotechnology , gel electrophoresis , genetics
A new method for detection of varicella‐zoster virus (VZV) DNA using field‐inversion gel electrophoresis (FIGE) was devised. VZV‐genomie DNA could be differentiated from the host cell DNA of human embryonic lung (HEL) fibroblasts infected with VZV under electrophoretic conditions allowing resolution of linear and double‐stranded DNAs in the 49–230 kilobase pairs (Kb) range. The detection of VZV‐genomic DNA from infected HEL cells was successful regardless of whether the VZV was a laboratory strain, live vaccine strain, or fresh isolate. Under the same electrophoretic conditions, DNA of VZV‐infected HEL cells could be clearly differentiated from DNA obtained from HEL cells infected with herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV‐1), type 2 (HSV‐2), or human cytomegalovirus (HCMV). Furthermore, VZV genomic DNA could be detected from as small a sample as 1.9 × 10 4 VZV‐infected HEL cells. Finally, we could detect VZV genomic DNA from 10 samples of vesicle tissue (blister lids, each about 1‐4 mm 2 ) and one sample of vesicle fluid (about 5 μl) obtained from patients diagnosed as having herpes‐zoster. The results of this study indicate that FIGE is a simple and promising method for the detection of VZV from clinical materials as well as infected in vitro cultured cells.