The genomic diversity among equine herpesvirus-1 strains isolated in Japan.

The DNAs from nine Japanese field isolates of equine herpesvirus-1 (EHV-1) were analyzed by digestion with the restriction endonuclease Bam HI and Southern hybridization. Comparing restriction profiles among the EHV-1 strains, there was no considerable difference between isolates before and after vaccine application, but some minor variations in the mobility of Bam HI fragments were observed. To identify these variable fragments, all genomic DNA sequences of the Japanese prototype of EHV-1 have been cloned as Bam HI restriction fragments into the plasmid pUC-18. Physical maps of the virus DNA were constructed by a combination of Southern blot analysis and double enzyme digestion of the cloned fragments. By using these cloned fragments as probes in Southern blot analysis, the areas of heterogeneity observed among the field EHV-1 isolates were located in both terminals of UL, the center of UL, IR, US and TR regions of the genome.