Genetic relatedness of the Kemerovo serogroup viruses: I. RNA-RNA blot hybridization and gene reassortment in vitro of the Kemerovo serocomplex.

The dsRNA profiles of the Czechoslovakian and Siberian serotypes of the Kemerovo serocomplex viruses examined were similar in agarose, while their dsRNA profiles were distinct in polyacrylamide gel. Blot hybridization studies of the Kemerovo serocomplex viruses demonstrated that the genes were highly conserved among the members within each type, but not between types. Gene reassortment in vitro was demonstrated among selected pairs of the Kemerovo serocomplex viruses by intra- and inter-typic crosses. The majority of the reassortant progeny from inter-typic crosses were single gene replacements, whereas the majority of the reassortant progeny from intra-typic crosses were multiple gene replacements suggesting that certain gene combinations were restrictive under conditions of the experiment.