Use of synthetic oligodeoxyribonucleotides for type-specific identification of coxsackie B viruses

Synthetic oligodeoxyribonucleotides were used for type-specific identification of members of the coxsackie B virus group by nucleic acid hybridization. Two pairs of oligonucleotide chains were constructed based on nucleotide sequences in the VP1 regions of coxsackieviruses B3 and B4. Each labelled probe had a length of 24 nucleotides. The results showed that the oligonucleotide hybridized in a type-specific manner when assayed with extracts from cells infected with all different coxsackie B viruses. A method based on similar principles may thus be used for enterovirus typing.