Application of RNase T1 one- and two-dimensional analyses to the rapid identification of foot-and-mouth disease viruses.

The analysis of several isolates of foot-and-mouth disease virus by RNase T1 fingerprinting of the 32P-labeled RNA is described. It has been shown that use of the 35S induced RNA instead of the virus particle RNA has two advantages. (i) About 40 times more radioactivity is incorporated into the induced RNA. (ii) The RNA can be prepared much more rapidly, thus increasing the value of the technique in rapid diagnosis. One-dimensional maps, in which the RNase T1 oligonucleotides are separated according to size, have been shown to provide a valuable screening method for distinguishing between viruses. Those viruses giving similar one-dimensional maps also gave similar two-dimensional maps. The value of using the length of the polycytidylic acid tract of foot-and-mouth disease virus as a diagnostic tool is also discussed.