An analytical method for R5 repeated structure in varicella-zoster virus DNA by polymerase chain reaction

The tandem direct reiteration, R5, in varicella-zoster virus (VZV) genome consists of 88-bp and 24-bp elements. The R5 structure was examined by the polymerase chain reaction to differentiate between various strains. A sense primer was designed at the 88-bp element and an antisense primer at the site separated from R5, in which we expected to detect multiple bands corresponding to repeating numbers of 88-bp elements. Thirty-four wild strains and a vaccine strain were analyzed using this method. The 34 wild strains showed two to four bands corresponding to numbers of 88-bp elements, in which the strain showing three bands was found to be predominant. The vaccine strain also revealed three bands.