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Updated: Jul 8, 2026
Methodology for the Efficient Generation of Fluorescently Tagged Vaccinia Virus Proteins
Published on: January 17, 2014
A highly efficient protocol of generating and analyzing VZV ORF deletion mutants based on a newly developed
Zhen Zhang1, Ying Huang, Hua Zhu
1Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, UMDNJ-New Jersey Medical School, 225 Warren Street, Newark, NJ 07101-1709, USA.
Abstract:
Varicella Zoster Virus (VZV) is the causative agent for both varicella (chicken pox) and herpes zoster (shingles). As a member of the human herpesvirus family, VZV contains a large DNA genome, encoding 70 unique open reading frames (ORFs). The functions of the majority of these ORFs remain unknown. Recently, the full-length VZV (P-Oka strain) genome was cloned as a VZV bacteria artificial chromosome (BAC) and additionally a firefly luciferase cassette was inserted to generate a novel luciferase VZV BAC. In this study, a highly efficient protocol has been developed exploiting the new luciferase VZV BAC system to rapidly isolate and characterize VZV ORF deletion mutants by growth curve analysis in cell culture.
