SYNTHETIC OLIGONUCLEOTIDE COCKTAILS AS PROBES FOR DETECTION OF HUMAN PARVOVIRUS B19

A cocktail of 10 oligonucleotides selected at intervals along the leng th of the genome of human parvovirus B19 was labelled enzymically with digoxigenin and chemically with either digoxigenin (DIG) or dinitroph enyl (DNP). Chemical labelling was easier and more practical for the p roduction of large quantities of probe. Pools labelled with either dig oxigenin or DNP could detect 10 fg of B19 DNA in a dot blot reaction u sing an alkaline phosphatase antibody conjugate and colorimetric detec tion. Formalin fixed tissue from 11 consecutive cases of fetal hydrops were examined by in situ hybridisation (ISH). Both probe cocktails de tected human parvovirus B19 DNA in 3 cases, with positive cells in all tissues examined and with equal sensitivity. The DNP pool is signific antly cheaper and simpler to produce and could provide an inexpensive reagent suitable for diagnostic detection of viral nucleic acid in his topathological material.