Serological and biochemical characteristics of intermediate adenovirus strains of subgenus D

Ten serologically intermediate strains of subgenus D related to six different serotypes were characterized by neutralization and hemagglutination-inhibition and by DNA restriction analysis with the endonucleases BamHI, BglII, BstEII, HindIII, and SmaI. Each strain was a unique genome type. While the serologically identical strains showed only slight variations in their DNA, the comparison of the intermediate strains with the serologically related prototypes resulted in only moderate DNA relationship (53 to 73% comigrating fragments, with one exception). Hence the possibility that the intermediate strains have originated by recombination of two prototype-like strains is unlikely. One strain lost its cross-reactivity with AV19 in hemagglutination-inhibition after terminal dilution.