ABSTRACT
Varicella-zoster virus DNA was digested with 11 restriction endonucleases, and the resulting fragments were separated on agarose gels. Terminal fragments were identified by lambda exonuclease digestion. Physical maps were then constructed using a combination of double restriction enzyme digestion and hybridization to cloned BamHI fragments to place the remaining fragments in order.
Subject(s)
DNA, Viral/genetics , Herpesvirus 3, Human/genetics , Base Sequence , Cells, Cultured , Cloning, Molecular , DNA Restriction Enzymes , Embryo, Mammalian , Female , Fibroblasts , Herpes Zoster/microbiology , Humans , Nucleic Acid Hybridization , PregnancyABSTRACT
The DNA from several clinical isolates of varicella-zoster virus (VZV) were compared with the DNA from the vaccine strain VZV using three restriction endonucleases: BamHI, BgII, and HpaI. When electrophoresed through an agarose gel, the vaccine DNA digestion pattern was significantly different from the digestion patterns of the wild-type DNAs. Variations in the digestion pattern of the separate clinical isolates were also observed.
Subject(s)
Bacterial Proteins , DNA Restriction Enzymes , Deoxyribonucleases, Type II Site-Specific , Capsid/isolation & purification , DNA Restriction Enzymes/pharmacology , DNA, Viral/analysis , Deoxyribonuclease BamHI , Electrophoresis, Agar Gel , Embryo, Mammalian , Fibroblasts , Herpesvirus 3, Human/genetics , Herpesvirus 3, Human/immunology , Humans , Viral Vaccines/analysisABSTRACT
Varicella-zoster virus infection of primary hamster embryo cells resulted in oncogenic transformation. These transformed cells exhibited virus-specific antigens by immunofluorescence and developed surface Fc receptors. They induced aggressive fibrosarcomas when injected into inbred hamsters. The tumour-bearing hamsters develop antibodies to varicella-zoster antigens.
