Genome typing of mouse adenoviruses

Restriction endonuclease cleavage site analysis was used to differentiate between mouse adenovirus (MAV) types 1 and 2 strains. Viral DNA of suitable purity and quantity for multiple enzymatic digestions was obtained from cloned CMT-93 mouse tumor cells infected with each type of MAV. Clear differences between the MAV-1 (FL) and MAV-2 (K87) genomes were observed after cleavage with restriction enzymes such as BglII, EcoRI, and PaeR7. Fast electrophoresis of DNA fragments in miniature agarose slab gels allowed rapid and unequivocal identification of the MAV strains. This relatively simple and accurate method should be quite useful to determine the different modes of transmission of mouse adenoviruses and their presence in various animal populations.