THE LIGASE CHAIN-REACTION DISTINGUISHES HEPATITIS-B VIRUS S-GENE VARIANTS

Authors
KARTHIGESU VD MENDY M FORTUIN M WHITTLE HC HOWARD CR ALLISON LMC
Citation
Vd. Karthigesu et al., THE LIGASE CHAIN-REACTION DISTINGUISHES HEPATITIS-B VIRUS S-GENE VARIANTS, FEMS microbiology letters, 131(2), 1995, pp. 127-132
Citations number
13
Categorie Soggetti
Microbiology
Journal title
FEMS microbiology letters → ACNP
ISSN journal
03781097
Volume
131
Issue
2
Year of publication
1995
Pages
127 - 132
Database
ISI
SICI code
0378-1097(1995)131:2<127:TLCDHV>2.0.ZU;2-D
Abstract
A novel method for the identification of hepatitis B virus (HBV) varia nts was developed. The ligase chain reaction (LCR) distinguished the s equences of two isolates from The Gambia showing a change at nucleotid e 421 within the region coding for the surface protein a antigenic det erminant. One sequence was derived from a child previously immunized w ith HBV vaccine, while the other, reported here for the first time, wa s from a chronic carrier. Nucleotide variations within the target sequ ence at, or up to 3 bases from the point of ligation inhibited the rea ction. The LCR recognised variations in as little as 0.9 fmol DNA and will permit the rapid detection of HBV variants in molecular epidemiol ogical studies.