The use of biotin-labeled cDNA probes for the detection of infectious bursal disease viruses.

A cDNA library was prepared from the double-stranded RNA genome of the infectious bursal disease virus (IBDV) strain ST-C. The cDNA molecules were annealed into the plasmid pUC9 and used to transform Escherichia coli strain JM107. A cDNA clone that contained IBDV-specific nucleotide sequences was selected and designated STC-1. Radiolabeled probes were prepared from STC-1 and hybridized to genome segment A of ST-C in a northern blot hybridization assay. The STC-1 cDNA was 448 base pairs in length, and its nucleotide sequence indicated that it is located near the VP-2/VP-4 junction in IBDV genome segment A. Biotin-labeled probes were prepared from STC-1 and used in a dot-blot hybridization assay to detect IBDV. Under relatively low stringency conditions of hybridization, the biotinylated probes detected four subtypes of IBDV serotype 1 and a serotype 2 IBDV isolate.