Characterization of human varicella-zoster virus DNA

The DNA of varicella-zoster virus (VZV) has been characterized by sucrose gradient sedimentation, restriction enzyme cleavage with either EcoRI or HindIII site-specific endonucleases, and by isopycnic banding in caesium chloride. Comparisons of the DNAs from different clinical isolates have been made. DNAs from VZVs isolated from either varicella or herpes zoster are indistinguishable on the basis of size and restriction enzyme cleavage pattern. The buoyant density in caesium chloride of the DNA of VZV isolated from varicella was reproducibly slightly lower than that of the DNA of VZV isolated from herpes zoster.