XbaI, PstI, and BglII restriction enzyme maps of the two orientations of the varicella-zoster virus genome

Abstract

Cleavage of varicella-zoster virus DNA with the restriction endonucleases PstI, XbaI and BglII resulted in 18, 22 and 20 fragments, respectively. Based on the MW and molarities of these fragments, a MW of 84 .times. 106 could be calculated for the varicella-zoster virus genome. In both the XbaI and the BglII patterns, four 0.5 M fragments were identified. The arrangement of the fragments was determined by molecular hybridization techniques and the terminal fragments were identified by .lambda. exonuclease digestion. The 0.5 M fragments, of which 2 were located at the same terminus of the genome, contained repeated sequences: one terminally and one inverted internally. These results were in agreement with the existence of 2 equimolar subpopulations of the varicella-zoster virus genome, differing in the relative orientation of a short region of unique sequences. This region was bounded by the repeated sequences. From the MW of the submolar fragments, a maximal MW of 5 .times. 106 for the repeated region and a minimal MW of 3.5 .times. 106 for the short unique sequence could be calculated.