Kinchington P R, Reinhold W C, Casey T A, Straus S E, Hay J, Ruyechan W T
J Virol. 1985 Oct;56(1):194-200. doi: 10.1128/JVI.56.1.194-200.1985.
The genome of varicella-zoster virus (VZV) is a linear, double-stranded molecule of DNA composed of a long (L) region covalently linked to a short (S) region. The S region is capable of inverting relative to a fixed orientation of the L region, giving rise to two equimolar populations. We have investigated other forms of the VZV genome which are present in infected cells and packaged into nucleocapsids. That a small proportion of nucleocapsid DNA molecules also possess inverted L regions has been verified by the identification of submolar restriction fragments corresponding to novel joints and novel ends generated by such an inversion. The presence of circular molecules has been investigated by agarose gel electrophoresis. Bands corresponding to circular forms were present in small amounts in both VZV-infected cell DNA and nucleocapsid DNA. Southern blot analysis verified that these bands contained VZV sequences. We therefore conclude that the VZV genome may occasionally contain an inverted L region or exist in a circular configuration.
水痘带状疱疹病毒（VZV）的基因组是一个线性双链DNA分子，由一个长（L）区域和一个短（S）区域通过共价键连接而成。S区域能够相对于L区域的固定方向发生倒转，从而产生两个等摩尔的群体。我们研究了VZV基因组在感染细胞中存在并包装进核衣壳的其他形式。通过鉴定与这种倒转产生的新接头和新末端相对应的亚摩尔限制性片段，证实了一小部分核衣壳DNA分子也具有倒转的L区域。通过琼脂糖凝胶电泳研究了环状分子的存在。在VZV感染细胞的DNA和核衣壳DNA中均存在少量与环状形式相对应的条带。Southern印迹分析证实这些条带含有VZV序列。因此，我们得出结论，VZV基因组可能偶尔包含一个倒转的L区域或以环状形式存在。
